Mills Elementary (Austin ISD): 78749 Ratings & Zone
Mills Elementary is a public PK-5 school in the Village at Western Oaks area of 78749, part of Austin ISD, and it's one of the top-rated elementary schools in the district. It grades A overall, with reading and math proficiency far above the Austin ISD average, and it sits on the Mills to Gorzycki Middle to Bowie High path, strong at every step. For families, Mills is one of the real reasons this part of 78749 stays in demand. Here's the picture: the ratings, the numbers, the path it feeds, and what being zoned to Mills means for your home search.
Is Mills Elementary a good school?
Yes, it's one of the strongest in Austin ISD. Mills grades A overall on Niche, and the proficiency numbers are the headline: around 85% of students proficient in reading versus the district's 54%, and around 76% in math versus 41%. Those are among the highest marks anywhere on the south side. It earns an A academic grade and an A teacher grade, roughly 8% of students are in gifted programs, and it's a smaller PK-5 campus of about 744 students with a low 13:1 ratio. The free-lunch share, around 7%, reflects the Village at Western Oaks community it serves. For a family focused on the elementary years, Mills is a genuine draw, and it starts a feeder path that stays strong through middle and high school.
Mills Elementary by the numbers
| Metric | Mills Elementary | Austin ISD |
|---|---|---|
| Overall grade (Niche) | A | A- |
| Reading proficiency | 85% | 54% |
| Math proficiency | 76% | 41% |
| Academic grade (Niche) | A | A- |
| Teacher grade (Niche) | A | A |
| Gifted students | 8% | N/A |
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | 15:1 |
| Students in free lunch program | 7% | 50% |
| Total enrollment | 744 | 72,830 |
Source: Niche via RPR (Realtors Property Resource), 2026. Niche compiles the letter grades from U.S. Dept. of Education data, community reviews, and other sources, and updates quarterly. Figures change, so I confirm the current numbers when they matter to your decision.
The standout is the proficiency gap: Mills beats the district by around 30 points in reading and 35 in math. Scores like that, with a low 13:1 ratio and A grades across academics and teaching, are a big part of why the Village at Western Oaks area of 78749 holds its value.
What Mills feeds into
Mills starts a strong Austin ISD feeder path in 78749. From Mills, students continue to Gorzycki Middle and then to Bowie High, with solid ratings at every step:
That full path, elementary to middle to Bowie, is one of the reasons the Village at Western Oaks and Legend Oaks area stays popular with families. Which exact schools a home feeds depends on the address, so I confirm the current elementary, middle, and high school for any specific property before you write an offer.
Homes in the Mills Elementary zone
Mills serves the Village at Western Oaks and parts of the Legend Oaks and Oak Hill area of 78749, established, family-friendly South Austin neighborhoods with mature trees, greenbelt access, and quick connections to Mopac, 290, and the 71. Homes here draw steady demand, and the schools are a central reason why. The thing to know: 78749 is a large ZIP and Austin ISD boundaries can shift from one pocket to the next, so if Mills (and the Gorzycki and Bowie path behind it) is part of why you're buying, I confirm the zone for the exact address. For the full picture of the area, see my living in 78749 guide.
Mills is one of those schools families ask for by name, and homes zoned to it move accordingly. That can be worth it, but you want to be sure the house you love actually feeds Mills, not just that it's "in 78749." Zones here shift pocket to pocket. I confirm the exact elementary, middle, and high school for every address, so you know the full path before you pay for it.
How to confirm your address is zoned to Mills
Use Austin ISD's official boundary lookup. The district publishes a find-my-school tool where you enter an address and it returns the assigned elementary, middle, and high school. That's the source of truth, not the real estate listing, which can carry outdated school data, and in a big ZIP like 78749 the listing claim is worth verifying.
Or ask me. Send me an address or a Village at Western Oaks or Legend Oaks pocket you're considering and I'll confirm whether it's truly zoned to Mills, pull the current middle and high school on the path, and flag anything that affects your decision.
Buying in the Mills Elementary zone?
Tell me what matters most and I'll build your search around it. The path runs up to Bowie High, so start there for the high-school picture, use the 78749 living guide for the area, the Central Texas school districts guide for how the zones fit together, and the South Austin relocation guide if you're moving in. When you're ready to look at homes, here's how buying in South Austin works.
Mills Elementary FAQ
What district is Mills Elementary in?+
Is Mills Elementary a good school?+
What schools does Mills Elementary feed into?+
What neighborhoods are zoned to Mills Elementary?+
How do I find out if a home is zoned to Mills?+
South Austin is home base, and 78749 is a market I know block by block. With 175+ closed deals since 2016 across South Austin, Buda, Kyle, and Bastrop, and named a FastExpert 2026 Top Agent, I've helped plenty of families land a home in the exact school zone they were after.
Mills into Gorzycki into Bowie is a path families ask about by name, and it carries a premium. I make sure the home you love actually feeds the schools you want, no guessing. If the elementary years are on your mind, I'll give you a straight, local read.
Last updated: September 2026. School ratings and boundaries change, so confirm the current figures and assignment for any specific address.
