South Austin Schools
Manchaca Elementary School, Paredes Middle School and Akins High School are close to the Austin town home subdivision of Ravenscroft. The schools are part of the Austin Independent School District that consists of 124 schools. Austin attracts immigrants from all parts of the world and 94 languages are spoken within the community. The school district makes a strong effort to cope with the challenges that come with serving such a diverse population. English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese and American Sign Language are taught in the schools. There are after-school programs to keep the students safe and engaged. The value of higher education is stressed and Austin students consistently exceed the average national and state SAT scores.
Menchaca Elementary School
The Menchaca Elementary School is located on Manchaca Road and is a short distance south of the Ravenscroft subdivision. It was built in 1975 and serves children from pre-kindergarten through the fifth grade. Breakfast is available for students who arrive before 7:30 and the school posts monthly lunch menus on its web site. The school encourages parents to eat lunch with their children but requests that they check-in and wear a visitor’s tag while on campus. Classes finish at 2:45 p.m. and after-care is available on campus until 6:30 p.m. Organizations that provide after-school activities pick the children up from school and transport them to their facilities.
Paredes Middle School
The Paredes Middle School is located between the Mary Moore Searight Park and the Austin townhomes development of Ravenscroft. The school is named after Americo Paredes, a Mexican American scholar who fought against ethnic discrimination. He was a tenured professor at the University of Texas at Austin and specialized in writing about Mexican folklore. He died in 1999, one year before the school opened. Paredes accepts students in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Seventh and eighth graders may participate in the extensive school sports programs; physicals are required of all potential team members. There’s a girls’ volleyball team, a boys’ football team and separate boys’ and girls’ teams for basketball, soccer, tennis and track.
Akins High School
Akins High School is located east of Ravenscroft and south of the Mary Moore Searight Park. The school is open to students in grades 9-12 and is named in honor of Dr. Charles Akins, an African American educator within the Austin school district who fought to desegregate the Texas schools. The school’s athletic program includes football, baseball, basketball, tennis and soccer. The school’s curriculum has a strong emphasis on higher education. A variety of Advanced Placement (AP) courses prepare a student for the AP exams that allow high school students to earn college credit. In addition, the school established the Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Academy in 2012. This program offers specialized courses that provide the educational foundation for future scientists, inventors and engineers. The school and surrounding community are also very proud of its Air Force JROTC program that promotes community service, patriotism, leadership, physical fitness, aeronautics and national security.
