Schools Serving Hudson Bend: What Families Should Know
Which schools serve Hudson Bend, Texas? Hudson Bend sits entirely inside Lake Travis ISD. Most addresses in the 78734 area feed to Lake Travis Elementary, Hudson Bend Middle School, and Lake Travis High School — but zoning is set street by street, so verify by address.
If you're moving to Hudson Bend from out of state — and a lot of my clients are coming from California — the school question usually comes up before the home search does. That's reasonable. In Texas, school assignment follows your address, and your address also determines a large piece of your annual property tax bill.
Here's the part most buyers don't hear until later: Lake Travis ISD is in the middle of a multi-year expansion, and the boundaries that apply to a Hudson Bend address today are not guaranteed to be the boundaries that apply in 2029. That's not a reason to avoid the area. It's a reason to know the timeline before you write an offer.
This post covers which campuses serve Hudson Bend, how to confirm zoning for a specific address, what's changing at the district level, and the enrollment steps that trip up out-of-state families.
Hudson Bend Is Entirely Within Lake Travis ISD
Hudson Bend is an unincorporated community in Travis County, on the peninsula between Lake Travis and Lake Austin, just north of RR 620. It carries an Austin mailing address and the 78734 ZIP code, which leads some out-of-state buyers to assume it's part of Austin ISD. It isn't.
Lake Travis ISD is bounded by the shores of Lake Travis to the north, the Travis and Hays county lines to the south, the Pedernales River to the west, and Lake Austin and Barton Creek to the east. Every Hudson Bend address falls inside those lines.
The district currently operates one high school, three middle schools, and seven elementary campuses.
The Typical Feeder Pattern for Hudson Bend Addresses
For most homes in the Hudson Bend area, the assignment runs:
- Lake Travis Elementary — 15303 Kollmeyer Dr, Austin, TX 78734 (PK–5)
- Hudson Bend Middle School — 15600 Lariat Trail, Austin, TX 78734 (6–8)
- Lake Travis High School — 3324 Ranch Road 620 S, Austin, TX 78738 (9–12)
Lake Travis ISD is currently a single high school district, so the high school boundary simply incorporates the elementary and middle school boundaries. Every student in the district, from Hudson Bend to Bee Cave to Spicewood, attends Lake Travis High School.
One caution: neighborhood names are not attendance zones. Hudson Bend borders Lakeway, and homes on nearby streets can land in different elementary zones. Never assume the campus based on the subdivision name, the listing remarks, or a third-party portal — those data sources lag behind board decisions.
How to Confirm Zoning for a Specific Address
Do this before you're under contract, not after:
- Check the LTISD street directory with school attendance zones, which lists assignments street by street.
- Cross-reference the attendance zone maps. The district publishes an overview map and a detail map you can zoom for street-level boundaries.
- Call the campus registrar or the Superintendent's Office to confirm the address in writing if anything looks ambiguous.
One rule catches buyers looking at lakefront and hillside lots: under LTISD board policy, the foundation of the home must sit completely within district boundaries for the address to establish residency. On an irregular parcel near the district's edge, that's worth confirming early.
What's Changing: Highland Lakes High School
Lake Travis ISD is building a second high school, and the timeline matters if you're buying now with young children.
Highland Lakes High School is under construction on a 150-acre site on Reimers-Peacock Road off SH 71. The board approved the name and colors in February 2026 and approved a guaranteed maximum price of $299.5 million for construction in June 2026. The campus is designed for 1,500 students, with room to expand to 2,000 if enrollment warrants.
The district's published timeline:
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Attendance zone process begins | August 2027 |
| Board approves zoning | December 2027 |
| Families notified of rezoning | December 2027 |
| School opens (9th & 10th grade) | August 2029 |
| Adds 11th grade | 2030 |
| Full 9th–12th grade | 2031 |
What this means practically: if you buy in Hudson Bend today and have a child currently in elementary or middle school, their high school assignment could be decided by a rezoning process that hasn't started yet. Hudson Bend sits on the opposite side of the district from the new campus, which is a factor in how zones get drawn — but no one can tell you the outcome today, because the board hasn't run the process. If this matters to your household, put December 2027 on your calendar and follow the district's bond page for updates.
Also worth knowing: the district delayed the opening of Elementary School #8 from its original August 2026 date, citing enrollment that hasn't reached projected levels. Rising housing costs in the district were named as one contributing factor. Growth here has been real, but it isn't running at the pace projections once assumed.
Enrollment, Transfers, and Timing Your Move
New student enrollment runs through the district's online system, and you'll need proof of residency along with standard records. If you're closing mid-summer, start gathering documents before you land in Texas — a lease or closing statement, a utility connection, and immunization records are the usual holdups.
Transfers are a separate process. Lake Travis ISD publishes a student transfer application for in-district and out-of-district requests, and approval depends on space at the requested campus. Transfers are not guaranteed, and they're generally reviewed on a per-year basis, so I don't recommend buying a home on the assumption you'll transfer into a different campus.
Timing. Texas school calendars typically start in mid-August. If your kids are mid-year, a February or March closing means a mid-year campus change; if you'd rather avoid that, a spring purchase with a summer move usually works better. That's a real constraint on a home search timeline, and it's worth building into your plan from day one.
Two Texas Rules That Surprise Relocating Families
Personal devices. Texas HB 1481 restricts student use of personal communication devices during the school day, and Lake Travis ISD maintains a family page explaining how it's implemented. If your teenager is used to a phone in a backpack all day, expect a different arrangement here.
School taxes. In Texas, public schools are funded largely through local property taxes, and the school district line is typically the largest single item on a Travis County tax bill. Bond programs like the one funding Highland Lakes High School are repaid through the debt service portion of that rate. If you're coming from California and used to Proposition 13, this is the single biggest budgeting adjustment — the tax bill moves with assessed value in a way you're not used to. File your homestead exemption the year you qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hudson Bend in Austin ISD or Lake Travis ISD? Hudson Bend is in Lake Travis ISD, not Austin ISD. The Austin mailing address and 78734 ZIP code cause the confusion, but the community sits inside LTISD boundaries in unincorporated Travis County.
Will Hudson Bend students be rezoned to the new high school? No one knows yet. Lake Travis ISD begins its attendance zone process for Highland Lakes High School in August 2027, with board approval and family notification expected in December 2027. The campus opens in August 2029 with 9th and 10th grades.
How do I confirm which schools a Hudson Bend address is zoned to? Use the LTISD street directory and attendance zone maps, then confirm with the campus registrar. Don't rely on listing remarks or real estate portals — zoning data on those sites is often out of date.
Planning a Move to Hudson Bend?
School zoning, tax rates, and closing timelines all interact with each other, and getting the order right saves a lot of stress. If you're weighing Hudson Bend against Lakeway, Bee Cave, or Lago Vista — or coordinating a California sale with a Texas purchase — let's talk through your timeline before you start touring homes.
Call or text me at 949-484-9486.
School attendance information above is drawn from Lake Travis ISD's published materials and is provided for reference only. Boundaries, timelines, and district policies change — always verify current zoning directly with the district for any specific address.
Amanda Zito, REALTOR® The Zito Group | Real Broker, LLC Serving the Lake Travis area, Texas CA DRE #01740063 | TX TREC #840088 SoldByZito.com
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