Sunfield El, Buda TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Sunfield El

Sunfield Elementary sits in Buda, a fast-growing suburb about thirteen to fifteen miles south of Austin along the I-35 corridor, in the heart of the Sunfield master-planned community that will eventually hold many homes when complete. The school serves prekindergarten through fifth grade and enrolls a student population with no school specific significant data gaps except that English learner and special education enrollment counts are not reported; the student body is diverse, with just over half identifying as Hispanic, roughly a third as White, and smaller shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students.

About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is substantial for an elementary school of this grade band, with particularly large cohorts in kindergarten and first grade reflecting new residential growth in the area.

On the most recent state assessments, Sunfield's performance is uneven. In English language arts, the school's results are relatively stronger. Third graders achieved proficiency at a modest rate; fourth graders performed noticeably better, with a majority meeting or exceeding the standard; and fifth graders also reached proficiency at a similar solid level. In math, performance is weaker. Third-grade math proficiency sits notably lower than third-grade reading, about half of fourth graders met the standard, and fifth-grade math proficiency drops to a lower level, making that the softest area in the school's results. Science, tested only in fifth grade, shows very low proficiency, with only a small share of students demonstrating mastery. Taking the school as a whole, across all tested subjects and grades, a parent looking at the overall proficiency index will find Sunfield positioned in the top quartile among Hays County school districts, a meaningful strength given the county's scale and diversity.

Looking beyond test scores, Sunfield is part of Hays Consolidated ISD, a large district spread across more than a hundred square miles of northern Hays County, based out of Kyle. The school itself is located on Vista Gardens Drive in a residential part of Buda, not in the historic downtown but within the newer suburban growth. The locale is car-dependent; Buda has a preserved six-block historic downtown, but daily life for most residents, including school attendance, routes through the I-35 corridor and highway-based retail. The town markets itself as the "Outdoor Capital of Texas" and has extended parkland, though schools are not integrated into that downtown core.

Housing in the Buda zip code carries median values above the state benchmark, with rental rates similarly elevated relative to state and national averages. The area is experiencing real growth pressure from migration into the Austin metro region and is home to major distribution and retail operations. For families newly arrived in one of the master-planned communities, Sunfield Elementary is geographically convenient and academically in reasonable standing at the county level. Parents concerned about math proficiency or science performance may want to look into what support and intervention the school offers in those areas, particularly as students move up the grade ladder.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 14% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 452%

School 52% · District 44% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 10% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 18% · ▲ 37 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 56% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 28% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 23% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolHAYS CISD, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income25%Higher-income67%42 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income37%Higher-income68%31 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income46%Higher-income66%20 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income11%Higher-income62%51 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income56%15 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income18%Higher-income40%22 pp gap