The top reported proficiency rate is 89% in English language arts. The lowest is 68% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Mills El
Mills Elementary sits on Davis Lane in southwest Austin, within Austin ISD, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school is a conventional public elementary with no charter or magnet designation.
On Texas's STAAR assessment, Mills posts some of the strongest proficiency results you will find among elementary schools in Travis County. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Travis County. Reading and language arts results are particularly strong across third, fourth, and fifth grade, and math scores are high in the earlier tested grades, though they ease somewhat by fifth. Science, tested only at fifth grade, shows a meaningful portion of students reaching proficiency, though the rate is lower than in reading or math. Social studies is tested in the upper grades as well; the "approaches" level is very high, though the share reaching the advanced "masters" tier is lower, as is typical statewide in that subject. Trend data covers only the most recent year, so it is not yet possible to assess whether these results are improving, stable, or new. That is worth asking the school about directly.
The student body is mid-to-large for a neighborhood elementary. White students make up the largest group, followed by Hispanic students and Asian students, with students of two or more races and smaller numbers of Black and Native American students rounding out the population. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which indicates an economically advantaged population. Data on English learner students and students receiving special education services were not available in what we reviewed.
Housing near this campus reflects Austin's southwest corridor. Median home values are well above both the Texas state median and the national median, and the year-over-year trend shows modest softening. Rents in the area have also dipped slightly year over year. Even with that easing, buying here requires a substantial commitment, and the estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home carries a price-to-income ratio that puts it well out of reach for many families at or below the median national income. Renters in this zip code spend a manageable share of income on rent compared to mortgage holders, though the gap between the two costs is wide.
The broader Austin context matters for families thinking about stability. Austin ISD approved a large school consolidation in late 2025, closing ten schools and reassigning a meaningful number of students before the 2026-27 school year. Mills is not among the schools named for closure based on publicly reported information, but families should confirm current attendance boundaries directly with the district, since program relocations and boundary changes are actively underway. The district is also executing on a major bond approved in 2022, the largest school bond in Central Texas history by public reporting, which is funding facility rebuilds across multiple campuses. A voter-approved tax rate increase passed in 2024 raises property taxes for homeowners in the district, funding staff raises and addressing a budget shortfall.
Austin itself is one of the fastest-growing large metros in the country, anchored by state government, the University of Texas, and a deep concentration of technology employers including semiconductor, software, and electric vehicle manufacturing operations. The southwest Austin area where Mills sits is predominantly car-dependent, and the school's neighborhood has the residential character typical of that part of the city rather than the walkable mixed-use texture found closer to downtown or South Congress.
Program-specific offerings at Mills were not available in the data we reviewed, so a parent interested in dual language, gifted services, or specific after-school programming should reach out to the campus directly. A graduation rate does not apply here because the school serves only pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.
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