Dripping Springs Isd, TX

Original Research by School Decision on Dripping Springs Isd

Dripping Springs ISD serves the Hill Country communities west of Austin, encompassing the towns of Dripping Springs, Wimberley, Driftwood, and Round Mountain. The district operates as a traditional public system across a substantial geographic area, serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.

The housing market in this region reflects Austin-area trends. Home values are substantial across the district's service area, with properties clustered around the mid-range for Central Texas. The Dripping Springs zip code itself sees the highest concentration of valuations. Rental costs in the district align with homeownership prices in terms of affordability pressure, creating a market where housing represents a meaningful portion of household budgets. The area has experienced modest home value declines in recent quarters, though this tracks broader regional movement rather than local decline.

Enrollment across the district is stable at a mid-size level, with roughly equal distributions across elementary, middle, and high school grades. The student body leans heavily toward white students, with Hispanic students comprising a meaningful minority and Asian students representing a small but present population. Data on free and reduced-price lunch eligibility and English learner enrollment were not available, limiting clarity on economic hardship and language-support needs.

On state testing, Dripping Springs shows strength in English language arts. Across the grades tested, ELA proficiency runs solidly above the district's performance in other subjects. Grade 4 and Grade 6 stand out with higher proficiency rates. Math performance is more mixed. Grade 5 and Grade 7 students show solid proficiency; Grade 6 falls notably lower, suggesting a potential dip during the transition into middle school that rebounds by Grade 7. Grade 8 science proficiency sits at a strong level. Social studies, tested only in Grade 8, shows the district's lowest proficiency rate among tested subjects, with fewer than half of eighth graders meeting or exceeding standards. A parent may want to look into how the district approaches social studies instruction at the middle grades.

Comparing Dripping Springs to the seven districts in Hays County, the district ranks in the top quartile on overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. Chronic absenteeism is also notably low relative to county peers. Per-pupil spending sits in the lower range among county districts, meaning the district operates more efficiently on a dollar-per-student basis than most of its neighbors, though this is a neutral characteristic reflecting spending choices rather than resource constraints.

The district currently operates five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. A new elementary school is planned for future opening, signaling enrollment growth or planned capacity expansion. No recent major strategic changes or policy shifts were publicly documented during the research period.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

8,538

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 21%

Black 1%

White 70%

Asian 3%

Two+ 5%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

74%

Gr 4

17%

80%

Gr 5

—

82%

Gr 6

40%

83%

Gr 7

33%

78%

Gr 8

38%

77%

Math

Gr 3

22%

61%

Gr 4

—

67%

Gr 5

32%

67%

Gr 6

41%

Gr 7

34%

70%

Gr 8

24%

70%

Science

Gr 8

37%

73%

Social studies

Gr 8

15%

48%

all_subjects_approaches

Gr ALL

62%

—

all_subjects_masters

Gr ALL

10%

—

all_subjects_meets

Gr ALL

32%

—

ela_approaches

Gr ALL

66%

—

ela_masters

Gr ALL

11%

—

ela_meets

Gr ALL

37%

—

math_approaches

Gr ALL

58%

—

math_masters

Gr ALL

10%

—

math_meets

Gr ALL

27%

—

science_approaches

Gr ALL

61%

—

science_masters

Gr ALL

13%

—

science_meets

Gr ALL

33%

—

social_studies_approaches

Gr ALL

64%

—

social_studies_masters

Gr ALL

—

social_studies_meets

Gr ALL

27%

—

Schools in this District

9 schools are officially reported under this district.

DRIPPING SPRINGS EL

DRIPPING SPRINGS H S

DRIPPING SPRINGS MIDDLE

WALNUT SPRINGS EL

ROOSTER SPRINGS EL

SYCAMORE SPRINGS EL

SYCAMORE SPRINGS MIDDLE

CYPRESS SPRINGS EL

NEW EL

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

4 grades reported

65%

Grade 5

38%

Grade 6

67%

Grade 7

66%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

5 grades reported

71%

Grade 3

78%

Grade 4

80%

Grade 6

75%

Grade 7

74%

Grade 8

Science

1 grade reported

70%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

45%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$718,981

Year-over-year change-2.7%

Range across 6 ZIP codes$562K to $931K

vs. state typical2.38x

vs. national typical1.95x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (6 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
78620	Dripping Springs	$685K	-2.5%	72.2%
78737	Austin	$789K	-3.7%	11.9%
78619	Driftwood	$931K	-3.1%	8.8%
78676	Wimberley	$562K	-2.4%	3.6%
78663	Round Mountain	$837K	-3.0%	3.2%
78736	Austin	$605K	-4.5%	0.4%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,332/mo

Year-over-year change+2.0%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$1,387 to $2,437/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
78620	Dripping Springs	$2,437	+2.7%	72.2%
78737	Austin	$1,794	-0.2%	11.9%
78676	Wimberley	$2,107	-5.5%	3.6%
78736	Austin	$1,387	-0.2%	0.4%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$3,628/mo

Home price / national median income8.6x

Annual rent / national median income33.4%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$1,296/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$302,187 (-2.0% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.