Hart El, Austin TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Hart El

Hart EL is a small pre-K through fifth-grade school in northeast Austin with roughly mid-sized enrollment for its grade band. The student body is predominantly Hispanic and nearly all students—a very large share—qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a neighborhood of significant economic need.

State test results from spring 2025 show weak performance across subjects and grades. In English language arts, third graders scored at a modest level, with about four in ten meeting or exceeding proficiency; fourth graders in Spanish-language instruction showed no students meeting proficiency; and fifth graders achieved only a small share meeting proficiency. In math, fourth and fifth graders tested in Spanish showed zero students at proficiency, though the school notes it administered the Spanish-language STAAR to a small number of students in these grades. Fifth-grade science was particularly low, with only a handful of students meeting proficiency. Across all subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among Travis County districts; a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand whether language-of-instruction, demographic transitions, or instructional factors are at play.

The school's testing landscape is complex. Several grade-level cohorts, especially in grades four and five, sat for Spanish-language exams and showed notably low results. Third grade English readers scored modestly. The school does not report chronic absenteeism or graduation data, as neither applies to elementary grades. Data on the special education and English learner populations were not available in the records reviewed.

Hart EL sits in Austin ISD, which is experiencing significant institutional change. Voters recently approved a historic school bond package that has funded full rebuilds of several elementary campuses across the district. In November 2024 voters raised the property tax rate by a double-digit percentage to fund staff raises and address a large structural deficit. More recently, the district announced a consolidation plan closing schools before the 2026-27 school year in response to declining enrollment over the past decade; Hart EL is not listed among schools targeted for closure, though families should confirm the school's standing as the consolidation plan takes effect.

The neighborhood around Hart EL is part of Austin's broader rapid growth, though demand for elementary seats has weakened across the district. Housing in the area is affordable relative to much of Austin, with rent lower than mortgage costs and home values modest by metro standards. The school itself is in an Austin neighborhood away from downtown's walkable core.

For families considering Hart EL, the main question is academic support. The testing data suggests the school is working with a population facing significant headwinds, and the Spanish-language STAAR results hint at possible gaps in either language transition or core instruction that are worth exploring directly with school leadership.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 40%

School 0% · District 8% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 41 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 47% · ▼ 47 pts below district

▼ 41 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 12% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 40%

School 0% · District 58% · ▼ 58 pts below district

▼ 49 pts below state median · ▼ 44 pts below county median

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 63% · ▼ 45 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Science

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 35% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

This schoolAUSTIN ISD, 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 5Lower-income39%Higher-income80%41 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income11%Higher-income20%9 pp gap