22 June . 2021
Lake Travis ISD and Sweetwater schools shine in local, national rankings
Given the popularity of the Lake Travis Cavaliers, it’s no surprise that the Lake Travis Independent School District, which serves all of Sweetwater’s K-12 students, is the No. 1 Best School District for Athletes in the Austin Area, according to Niche.
Similarly, Lake Travis High School, home to the Cavaliers, is ranked by Niche as the No. 1 Best High School for Athletes in the Austin Area.
Academic excellence is another hallmark of Lake Travis ISD, which shines in overall rankings from Niche, U.S. News and other organizations that research and evaluate public schools nationwide.
Here are some highlights from the latest rankings of Lake Travis ISD and the campuses zoned to Sweetwater, which include Lake Travis High School, Lake Travis Middle School and Rough Hollow Elementary.
Lake Travis ISD
With an overall grade of A, Lake Travis ISD is ranked as the No. 2 Best School District in Travis County by Niche, when considering only traditional school districts and not charter schools.
LTISD earns A+ grades from Niche for Academics, College Prep, Sports and Food, with A grades for Teachers and Clubs & Activities.
As mentioned, Niche ranks LTISD as the No. 1 Best School District for Athletes in the Austin Area, and No. 5 in Texas.
Statewide, LTISD is in the top 3 percent of the 1,019 school districts in the state ranked by Niche.
Lake Travis High School
Niche gives Lake Travis High an overall grade of A, with more A grades for Academics and College Prep.
Niche also ranks Lake Travis High as the No. 1 Best High School for Athletes in the Austin Area, and as the No. 4 Best College Prep Public High School in Travis County.
On the list of Best Public High Schools in Travis County, Lake Travis High ranks No. 2 among traditional high schools, not including charter and magnet schools.
Lake Travis Middle School
Lake Travis Middle School has an overall A grade from Niche, with an A for Academics and A+ for Teachers.
Lake Travis Middle ranks as the No. 5 Best Public Middle School in Travis County, not including charter and magnet schools. It also ranks No. 3 as having the Best Public Middle School Teachers in Travis County, among traditional schools.
Rough Hollow Elementary
Sweetwater’s youngest students attend Lake Travis ISD’s Rough Hollow Elementary, which opened in 2020 and is too new to rank.
Located less than 3 miles from Sweetwater’s main entrance, Rough Hollow Elementary has a host of innovative features designed to help students learn and thrive.
For example, all common spaces, such as the cafeteria, media center and gym, are at the center of the building, with classrooms around the perimeter. This layout helps to reduce noises and distractions that occur during the day, such as at lunchtime.
Common spaces are connected to a two-story atrium that floods the entire building with natural light. As the main intersection for every corridor, this atrium provides connectivity for the entire building. It’s designed to be a cozy and welcoming space that the architect likens to “the fireplace hearth of a family room where everyone comes to gather and interact.”
Each grade level area includes a “neighborhood space,” a flexible learning area that can be used for collaborative learning, watching movies and other activities. The layout can be adjusted for different uses, and the furniture is moveable.
Sweetwater also has an onsite preschool, KLA Schools of Sweetwater, for children ranging in age from infants to pre-kindergarteners. The school offers a unique learning environment based on the Reggio Emilia approach, a teaching philosophy that originated in Italy after World War II, with a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and the arts.
Learn more about education at Sweetwater.