From the cover
Budgets tighten for ISDs as school options grow
By the numbers
The overview
Enrollment decline
In 10 years, RRISD enrollment has slowed.
Despite growth in the area population, enroll- ment for RRISD has remained largely unchanged. In RRISD, enrollment has hovered between 45,000 and 50,000, lowering in recent years as the number of students transferring out of the district entirely grew from 2,538 in the 2012-13 school year to 5,723 in the 2022-23 school year. In that time, the district saw a spike in students leaving to be homeschooled before dropping the last two years. Similarly, Pflugerville ISD saw the number of students leaving the district grow from 1,762 in the 2012-13 school year to 5,398 in the 2022-23 school year, while enrollment has only grown by around 2,000 students during the past 10 years. Georgetown ISD and Hutto ISD also saw out-of- district transfers double within that time period, but in recent years have grown in enrollment and were designated fast-growth districts by the state.
Census total school- age population (5-19)
Enrollment
Community Impact analyzed TEA, U.S. Census Bureau and withdrawal data from local school districts to find out where students are going. Overwhelmingly, data indicates families are choosing charter schools. In the last decade, four charter schools opened in North Austin suburbs: Harmony and Idea public schools, BASIS Texas Charter Schools and Valor North Austin. Another Harmony campus is under construction near Georgetown. These join the previously established Meridian World School and Gateway College Preparatory School. Transfer data from the Texas Education Agency shows 12.3% of students enrolled in Round Rock ISD in the 2022-23 school year left the district for charter or public schools in a different school district. New educational options are not limited to charter schools. New private schools, such as Crosslife Christian Academy in Pflugerville, and homeschooling groups have formed in recent years. Census Bureau data shows about 59,000 school-aged children live within Round Rock ISD, meaning the district is capturing about 79% of possible students. No Texas agency tracks private or homeschool students, but this data shows about 6,000 of those children are choosing one of these two options. Dana Martin, whose children previously attended Georgetown ISD, chose to enroll her children at Goodwater Montessori, where they are thriving—especially her older son. “How can you be testing so low, so bored and not being challenged?” Martin said. “He wasn’t getting his needs met at all.”
80K
70K
58,742
60K
50K
40K
46,510
0
District transfers Students leaving RRISD to attend other public or charter schools has increased.
Round Rock ISD withdrawals
Transfers in
Transfers out
Private school
Homeschool
5,723
6K
Interest in homeschooling surged as RRISD remained virtual.
4.5K
3K
522
1.5K
0
'20-'21
'21-'22
'22-'23
'23-'24
'19-'20
School year
NOTE: WITHDRAWALS ARE SELF-REPORTED AND MAY NOT COMPLETELY REPRESENT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS LEAVING FOR HOME OR PRIVATE SCHOOL.
SOURCE: ROUND ROCK ISD, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU /COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: ROUND ROCK ISD, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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