City: Austin, TX

Category: Child Care

Telephone: (512) 278-4000

Address: 10335 US 290 East

Description: This small district in Northeast Austin and Travis County doubled in enrollment from 1993 to 2003, and it has almost doubled again since then, to nearly 7,000 students. One of the poorest districts in the state, 75 percent of its students are listed as economically disadvantaged and 29 percent have limited English proficiency. Yet it has made strides since the high-tech boom of the 1990s and TEA considers it “Academically Acceptable.” Manor is home to Applied Materials, the world’s largest maker of computer-chip manufacturing equipment, and Samsung’s semiconductor factory. Together the companies represent thousands of jobs and major tax revenue. What’s happening in Manor demonstrates the benefits of having dynamic businesses that lend their support to schools. Among its many contributions, Applied Materials donated money to develop an up-to-date physics lab at Manor High School. Samsung and Applied Materials have worked with Austin Community College to develop a curriculum in the district to train students interested in the technology field. Manor has been working to improve its ratings and the SAT scores in the district. The district has 7 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 3 high schools, including Manor New Tech, one of the country’s innovative educational models that stresses project-based learning with an emphasis on math, science and technology.