Overview of Lake Travis ISD

Lake Travis Independent School District (ISD) serves more than 6,000 students across 118 square miles of the southwest side of Lake Travis in central Texas. The district was originally a part of the Dripping Springs ISD community until 1981. Now Lake Travis ISD’s borders include the Pedernales River on the west, Barton Creek and Lake Austin on the east, the Travis/Hays county line on the south, and Mansfield Dam on the north. Located approximately 20 miles west of the capital city of Austin, the area enjoys a blend of Texas Hill Country beauty and big city convenience.

Overall, of the 6,139 students currently enrolled in Lake Travis ISD, 79% are Caucasian. The largest minority group is Hispanic, at just over 15% of the student population, followed by Asian-American at a little less than 4% and African American at less than 2%.

Proud Achievements

Lake Travis ISD currently has five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. In the 2007-08 school year, the district as a whole earned a “recognized” rating from the Texas Education Agency’s Academic Excellence Indicator System. The high school and one of the middle schools received “academically acceptable” ratings, while two of the elementary schools were listed as “recognized.” The other middle school and two of the elementary schools received the prestigious “exemplary” rating. The fifth elementary school did not open until the fall of 2008 and did not, therefore, receive any score.

More than 560 students took a college entrance exam last year. The average scores were well above both the state and national averages. On the ACT, Lake Travis ISD students earned an average score of 24.2, and they also averaged 1126 on the SAT. The district is also proud to have had two National Merit Semifinalists and eight National Merit Commended Scholars last year as well. In 2008, the organization Just for the Kids (JFTK) named five Lake Travis ISD campuses as Just for the Kids Higher Performing Schools.

In order to prepare students for success both on standardized tests and in future education, schools have begun to provide more in-depth and difficult material that will expand students’ knowledge base and critical thinking skills. In middle school and in high school, Advanced Placement and Pre-Advanced Placement courses offer students who are willing to work hard at high levels the chance to get ahead in their college educations. Bilingual education helps native Spanish speakers make the transition to English-only classrooms, while English as a Second Language courses help students from a variety of backgrounds acquire the skills they need to succeed in English educational settings.

Teaching in Lake Travis ISD

If you would like to join the approximately 450 teachers in the Lake Travis ISD family, the starting salary for new teachers with a bachelor’s degree is $40,250, plus any stipends that may come from assuming extra responsibilities or offering instruction in high-demand subjects. Prospective teachers must fill out an online application in order to be considered for a position.

For more information about Lake Travis ISD and about the hiring process, please see the district’s website: http://www.laketravis.txed.net

Web-Centric Alternative Certification Program

If you would like to teach in one of Lake Travis ISD’s campuses or at any other school in the state of Texas but are not certified, the Web-Centric Alternative Certification (WCACP) can have you on the road to realizing your dream sooner than you may have ever thought possible! This online program offers you the flexibility of working at your own pace from the comfort and convenience of home. Once the academic portion, content test, and observation requirements have been completed, the program helps connect teaching candidates to internship opportunities so that they can complete the certification process.

To qualify for acceptance into the WCACP, you must have a bachelor’s degree and a minimum 2.5 grade point average. Special exceptions can be granted if your GPA is below 2.5.