Richards Sch for Young Women Leaders, Austin TX

Original Research by School Decision on Richards Sch for Young Women Leaders

Richards School for Young Women Leaders is an alternative school serving grades six through twelve in Austin. It occupies a distinctive niche in Austin ISD's landscape as a single-gender institution focused on leadership development and academic support for female students.

The school enrolls roughly a thousand students across its middle and high school grades. The student population is diverse in background and circumstance. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Racially and ethnically, the enrollment is roughly half Hispanic, with a third white, and smaller shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. The school draws from across Austin rather than a single neighborhood attendance zone, reflecting its role as a themed program choice within the district.

On state testing in the most recent year, the school shows uneven academic performance across subjects and grades. English language arts is a clear strength. Students in grades six through eight score at or above proficiency in the large majority, with particularly strong results in grades six and seven. Reading and writing skills across the school are consistently strong, with over ninety percent of all students meeting or exceeding proficiency in English language arts.

Mathematics is a significant area of concern. Sixth-grade students score at roughly two-thirds proficiency in math, a reasonable foundation. But seventh grade shows a sharp drop to very low proficiency, fewer than one in five meeting the standard. Eighth grade recovers somewhat, but to only roughly two in five. This pattern suggests the school may want to look into further whether the teaching approach or curriculum transition between sixth and seventh grade is creating a retention problem, or whether student demographics or prior preparation shift notably at grade seven.

Science scores are moderate, with eighth graders scoring just above two-thirds proficiency. Social studies, tested in eighth grade, shows about three in five students meeting proficiency, the lowest among core subjects tested.

Performance across these subjects places the school's overall proficiency above the midpoint among the county's districts when all tested grades and subjects are averaged, positioning it as a relatively stronger performer in the Travis County comparison set.

The school is part of Austin ISD, which is navigating significant change. The district approved a major school consolidation plan in November 2025 that closes ten schools before the 2026-27 school year, reassigns students, and implements school turnarounds. Additionally, the district approved a property tax increase in November 2024 to fund staff raises and address a large budget deficit. Families in the district are also experiencing long-term facility improvements funded by a large bond package approved in 2022. These shifts affect the operating context across Austin ISD, including Richards.

The school's setting is in Austin, a rapidly growing city undergoing significant development. The housing market in the school's zip code reflects broader Austin trends. Home values have declined modestly year over year, though housing costs remain well above the national average. Rents have also pulled back slightly. Property taxes in the area increased with the district's recent tax rate election. Austin overall continues to grow rapidly despite some cooling in commercial real estate and construction, with the region projected to add substantially more residents over the coming years.

The alternative school designation indicates that Richards likely serves a student population with varied educational needs or a specific programmatic focus on leadership and women's education. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status were not available, which is common for alternative school reports. High school programming and graduation outcomes were not included in the available data.

For families considering this school, the strengths in English language arts and the alternative focus on young women leaders may appeal. The mathematics performance gap, particularly in seventh grade, warrants direct conversation with the school about curriculum, instructional support, and whether the program has strategies to address that transition. The broader district context of consolidations and budget changes is worth monitoring as those transitions may affect school stability or staffing.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=95%Cohort of 98 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 665%

School 65% · District 35% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 21% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 47% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 688%

School 88% · District 55% · ▲ 33 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 43 pts above county median

Grade 789%

School 89% · District 53% · ▲ 36 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 46 pts above county median

Grade 880%

School 80% · District 58% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Science

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 49% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 857%

School 57% · District 34% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above 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 6Lower-income77%Higher-income92%15 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income81%Higher-income93%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income58%Higher-income92%34 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income43%Higher-income73%30 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income9%Higher-income23%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income17%Higher-income55%38 pp gap