The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in English language arts. The lowest is 47% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Santa Rita El
Santa Rita Elementary serves pre-K through fifth grade in Liberty Hill, a fast-growing Hill Country town northwest of Austin experiencing one of the steepest population surges in Williamson County. The school is small for its grade span, housed on a campus built within the residential Santa Rita Ranch master-planned community.
On the most recent state assessments, Santa Rita's results show a school where reading is a relative strength and math performance lags. In English language arts, the school's third through fifth graders posted proficiency rates in the upper range: third graders achieved at a solid level, fourth graders at a similar mark, and fifth graders notably higher. The school overall reaches most students in reading at the "approaches" level, and a substantial share reach "meets" or higher. Math tells a different story. Third-grade math proficiency sits lower than third-grade ELA, and fourth-grade math slides further down, becoming the weakest spot in the school's tested grade band. Fifth-grade math recovers slightly but remains the weaker subject. Science proficiency, tested only at fifth grade, runs at a modest level. Across all subjects, roughly a third of students reach the "masters" level. The school reaches most students by the "approaches" threshold overall, suggesting instruction is meeting a broad base but may struggle to move some students deeper into proficiency.
Santa Rita's student population mirrors Liberty Hill's broader demographics. A clear majority of students are White, with substantial Asian and Hispanic enrollment and smaller shares of Black students and other groups. About one in eight students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a low proportion that reflects the community's relative affluence. The school does not report data on students with IEPs or English learners, making it difficult to assess how specialized services are staffed or how the school is supporting multilingual learners—questions a parent may want to look into directly with the school.
The school's position within Williamson County districts places it in the top quartile overall on proficiency across tested grades and subjects, a genuine strength. State testing data was not available for graduation rate or chronic absenteeism, which do not apply to an elementary school.
Liberty Hill ISD as a district has been in fiscal and organizational flux. After two rounds of bond elections in 2021 and 2023 that authorized major building to keep pace with explosive growth, the district faced a failed tax election in 2024 and made substantial budget cuts over two years. A November 2025 tax increase narrowly passed, allowing the district to restore some funding and programs. The school calendar swung sharply: the district adopted a hybrid four-day week for 2025-26 to manage budget constraints, then reversed to mostly five-day weeks with shorter days for 2026-27 after the state denied its waiver. These schedule changes ripple through families' child care and work arrangements.
The town itself is in the midst of a residential boom. Housing values are substantial but have softened slightly year over year. Major new subdivisions including Johnson Development's Chapman Ranch project and the Mansions at Liberty Hill are in planning or early stages, with hundreds of new homes marketed. Retail is now catching up to housing: a Walmart-anchored center, a Target, and Liberty Hill's first Whataburger are under or recently broken ground. The historic downtown remains a small civic hub with the public library, parks, and local shops, while newer school campuses including Santa Rita sit within or near the master-planned communities themselves rather than at the town center.
Santa Rita represents a relatively advantaged elementary population with solid ELA performance, mid-range math outcomes, and full access to a district that has recently stabilized after budget pressure. The school sits within an actively growing, car-dependent community where families are largely affluent and where the school calendar and district finances remain in transition.
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