The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Emile El
Emile Elementary is a school of about six hundred students serving grades pre-K through fifth in Bastrop, a town southeast of Austin undergoing rapid residential and commercial growth. The school sits in a community shaped by proximity to major employers like SpaceX and the Tesla Gigafactory, drawing new families and reshaping the county's housing market and school enrollment.
The school's academic standing reflects ongoing challenges. On the most recent state testing for grades three through five, Emile's proficiency rates—the share of students meeting or exceeding the state standard—ranged from the low thirties to mid-forties in reading and math. Science proficiency was notably lower. Across all subjects tested, about two-thirds of students approached proficiency (the foundational level) and about two-fifths met grade-level standards. Science performance stands out as a particular soft spot, with only a very small share of fifth graders meeting the state benchmark. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what supports exist in that area. The data does not capture prior-year trends for this school, so it is not possible to see whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability.
The school serves a student population that is majority Hispanic, with a substantial share of white students, and a smaller share of black and multiracial students. About three out of five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating modest family incomes overall. Data on special education identification and English learner enrollment were not available.
Bastrop ISD is in a major expansion phase. Voters approved substantial bonds in both 2021 and 2023 to build new elementary schools and convert older buildings into middle schools, the first significant construction since the mid-2010s. Adelton Elementary, the ninth elementary in the district, opened in fall 2025, and a tenth elementary is planned. This building wave exists because enrollment has been climbing steadily and is projected to grow further. The district rezoned attendance boundaries in January 2025, meaning some families will see their elementary school assignments change over the next two school years. For parents considering a move to the area, this growth context matters: the school landscape is actively reshaping, new facilities are coming online to relieve crowding, and capacity constraints that may have existed are being addressed.
Housing in the Bastrop zip code ranges in value, with a median around mid-to-upper three hundreds of thousands. Rental rates are moderate, and the housing market has cooled slightly in the recent year. The town itself blends historic downtown riverfront amenities, shopping, and dining with suburban and rural residential areas. New master-planned communities like The Colony, SilverLeaf, and Del Webb Lost Pines (a 55-plus community) are drawing significant builder activity and families seeking newer inventory.
At Emile Elementary, the proficiency numbers warrant attention. They are above the midpoint of performance among other schools in Bastrop County, but they remain below typical benchmarks for grade-level mastery. The school serves a largely lower-income population and sits in a district managing rapid growth. Parents considering enrollment should view the strong growth context—new schools opening, bond funding flowing, and boundaries shifting—as the district making structural investments to support rising enrollment. Whether these changes will translate to improvement in academic outcomes is a question worth raising directly with the school.
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