Running Brushy Middle, Cedar Park TX

Original Research by School Decision on Running Brushy Middle

Running Brushy Middle is a public school serving grades six through eight in Cedar Park, part of Leander ISD, located in the northern Austin suburbs in Williamson County. The school enrolls a diverse cohort of students, with a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and a student body that is roughly evenly split among white, Hispanic, and Asian students, with smaller populations of Black students and multiracial youth.

The school's recent state test results show mixed performance across subjects and grade levels. Sixth-grade reading performance is stronger, with a majority of students meeting or exceeding state proficiency standards. Seventh-grade math is a notable soft spot, with substantially fewer students proficient, though eighth-grade math rebounds to around half the cohort meeting standards. Reading stays relatively consistent across grades six and seven, while eighth-grade science shows proficiency rates around the middle range. Social studies proficiency in eighth grade falls below the school's performance in other areas.

Viewed against the broader landscape of Williamson County districts, Running Brushy's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it above the midpoint, a meaningful position given the strong academic reputation of the county's school systems. The results indicate that the school is preparing a solid foundation in reading and science, though mathematics proficiency—particularly in seventh grade—suggests this is an area where families may want to ask the school about supports, intervention strategies, or curriculum approaches.

Cedar Park itself is a rapidly maturing suburban community northwest of Austin. The city has transformed from a rural settlement into a family-oriented residential area with master-planned neighborhoods, parks, and trails, paired with growing retail and mixed-use development. The community has an elevated cost of living; housing values reflect a high-earning local population. The new Cedar Park Public Library anchors an emerging downtown mixed-use district called the Bell, and the 10-mile Brushy Creek Regional Trail connects parks and residential areas. The H-E-B Center hosts professional sports and entertainment events year-round. While Cedar Park is car-oriented as a rule, some neighborhoods and commercial districts, like the Lakeline area and the Parke retail development, offer walkable street life.

Leander ISD has undergone substantial change in recent years. In 2023, voters approved a major bond package—the largest in district history—funding campus safety upgrades, two new elementary schools, design of future middle and high schools, modernization of Cedar Park and Vista Ridge high schools, and interactive flat panels in every classroom. The district also locked in additional operating revenue through a tax election in 2022 to address budget pressure and fund teacher pay and programs. Rapid population growth has prompted multiple boundary rezoning cycles, with secondary schools rezoned for 2024-25 and further elementary rezoning planned for 2026-27. Families considering the area should be aware that school attendance zones have shifted and may shift again, affecting which campus serves their address. The district also recently revised its book-selection policies following a period of community debate over curriculum, and continues to work through parent-involved materials review in line with state law.

Running Brushy sits on North Lakeline Boulevard near the heart of Cedar Park's retail and commuter corridor, positioning it in an established neighborhood with proximity to the commercial strips that anchor daily life in this growth community. The school serves an enrollment in the mid-to-large range for a middle school, with roughly balanced numbers across the three grade levels.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 647%

School 47% · District 58% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 723%

School 23% · District 35% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 858%

School 58% · District 67% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 72% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 759%

School 59% · District 69% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 862%

School 62% · District 74% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Science

Grade 859%

School 59% · District 66% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 52% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

This schoolLEANDER 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-income38%Higher-income73%35 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income31%Higher-income68%37 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income40%Higher-income71%31 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income24%Higher-income56%32 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income10%Higher-income34%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income32%Higher-income66%34 pp gap