Gateway College Preparatory School, Georgetown TX

Original Research by School Decision on Gateway College Preparatory School

Gateway College Preparatory is a charter school in Georgetown serving kindergarten through twelfth grade. The school sits within Orenda Charter School, a district that has expanded rapidly in response to fierce demand. Recent capital investment has been substantial: a Phase 4 expansion added classroom capacity beginning in the 2024-2025 school year to address a waitlist, and a high school annex opened in August 2024 with additional seats and dedicated special education space. The school currently enrolls a mid-sized population across its grade band.

The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with a substantial white enrollment, meaningful Hispanic and Asian representation, and smaller Black and multiracial populations. Detailed information on free-or-reduced-price-lunch participation and English learner status was not available.

Reading and English language arts is a relative strength. Across tested grades, ELA proficiency rates are consistently above the midpoint for students meeting or exceeding standards. Performance is particularly strong in grades four, six, seven, and eight, where proficiency climbs into the high range. Writing and literacy instruction appear to be a point of emphasis.

Mathematics shows more uneven performance. Early elementary grades three and four report solid proficiency, but grade five sees a sharp drop. Proficiency then recovers modestly in grade six and rises markedly again in grades seven and eight, where math proficiency is above the midpoint. The dip in grade five merits attention, and a parent may want to look into the school's approach to that grade level and whether support is available for students struggling with the transition.

Science proficiency data is available for grades five and eight. Grade five science is a soft spot, with proficiency below the midpoint. Grade eight science rebounds to above the midpoint. Social studies proficiency, available only for grade eight, sits at the midpoint.

Overall, across all tested subjects and grades, the school's proficiency index positions it in the top quartile relative to other districts in Williamson County. The school is performing above the median for the county in breadth of tested achievement, though performance is uneven by grade and subject.

State assessment participation rates were not reported, so students' access to and completion of state testing cannot be assessed from the data provided. No information was available on graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, school discipline, course offerings, staffing levels, or attendance. These are gaps a prospective family may want to explore with the school directly.

Georgetown is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States and a regional hub with a historic downtown anchored by the Williamson County Courthouse square, a library, and a network of trails and parks. Southwestern University sits just east of downtown and is developing mixed-use real estate. The city hosts major healthcare, education, and manufacturing employers and sits along the I-35 corridor with access to tech job centers in Round Rock, Cedar Park, and Austin. Housing values in the school's zip code have declined modestly year-over-year, and rental costs have declined similarly. The median household income locally is in the mid-range for the state.

The district has made multiple investments in K-12 capacity. Beyond Gateway College Preparatory's own expansion, Orenda opened a new K-8 school of arts and sciences adjacent to the flagship campus to accommodate growth and broaden program offerings. These investments reflect confidence in demand and give families enrolled or considering the district multiple campus options.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=95%Cohort of 71 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,779 schools plotted. 59 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 370%

School 70% · District 63% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 58% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 48% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 724%

School 24% · District 27% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 876%

School 76% · District 75% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 378%

School 78% · District 73% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 480%

School 80% · District 74% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 572%

School 72% · District 69% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 682%

School 82% · District 80% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 783%

School 83% · District 81% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 888%

School 88% · District 87% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Science

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 43% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 873%

School 73% · District 71% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 871%

School 71% · District 69% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 47 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

This schoolORENDA CHARTER SCHOOL, 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-income50%Higher-income79%29 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income73%Higher-income81%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income64%Higher-income73%9 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income81%Higher-income82%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income60%Higher-income85%25 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income91%Higher-income88%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income25%Higher-income74%49 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income50%Higher-income67%17 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income18%Higher-income49%31 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income31%Higher-income53%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income33%Higher-income23%10 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income76%Higher-income76%0 pp gap