The top reported proficiency rate is 86% in Science. The lowest is 50% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Olympia Hills
Olympia Hills is a small charter school operated by the University of Texas University Charter School, serving grades three through eight in Buda. The school sits within a notably unusual charter district: UT-UCS is not a traditional geographically-bounded district but rather an entity designed to serve students in residential treatment centers, psychiatric hospitals, and specialized care facilities across Texas, with a particular focus on young people with complex trauma histories or other intensive support needs.
The school's enrollment is quite small, with only about a score of students across its grade band. The student population is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic students and isolated representation of other backgrounds. Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available, and the same applies to counts of students receiving special education services or identified as English learners, which reflects both the school's small size and the specialized nature of its mission.
On state testing in 2024-25, results are available only in pockets because of the small cohorts at each grade level. Fourth-grade students showed proficiency at about the midpoint in both English language arts and math, with roughly half meeting the proficiency threshold. The school reports strong performance at the eighth-grade level: students there achieved proficiency in English language arts and science at a notably high rate, while social studies performance was below that benchmark. Sixth-grade and fifth-grade cohorts were too small for traditional proficiency rates to be reported. Overall proficiency across all tested grades and subjects sits in the top quartile relative to other districts in Hays County, which is a meaningful indicator given the school's very small sample and the specialized population it serves.
When performance is examined across the proficiency tiers that Texas uses, the data shows strength in foundational skills. All students assessed met the "approaches" benchmark in English language arts, meaning every student showed at least early competency in the subject. Math is similarly strong on foundational measures, with the vast majority meeting that level. Science and social studies performance is more varied: science shows solid foundational achievement but only a fraction of students reached the highest mastery level. Social studies mastery was split roughly evenly.
The school operates within a district framework that has adopted a district-wide trauma-informed instructional model grounded in the Neurosequential Model in Education. This is a pedagogical commitment that sits at the core of how the district approaches teaching and learning, integrated into teacher training and school policy. The shift prioritizes creating safe, supportive learning environments over traditional behavior management, which shapes day-to-day classroom practice. For families whose students have experienced trauma or need specialized emotional and academic support alongside traditional instruction, this is a defining feature of what the school offers.
The district has also recently launched a fully accredited, tuition-free online high school diploma program open to any eligible Texas student seeking credit recovery, acceleration, or a self-paced path to graduation. While Olympia Hills itself serves only grades three through eight, families aware of this pathway will know it exists for older students in the UT-UCS system.
Housing in the Buda area where the school is located has recently moderated in value year-over-year and monthly rents have similarly adjusted downward, though the area remains part of a rapidly growing commuter suburb where large master-planned communities continue to develop and new retail continues to arrive. Population growth in Hays County has been substantial over the past decade. This is the backdrop for families considering schools in the area, though the school itself serves a statewide mission rather than primarily a neighborhood one.
A parent may want to look into further with the school the availability of data on how students transition after eighth grade and whether the school works directly with the district's online high school option or other pathways for continued education.
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