Canyon Vista Middle School

8455 Spicewood Springs Road

School District

Round Rock Independent
Grade

6-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:16
Type

public

School Map for Round Rock Independent School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by student on October 19, 2024

Canyon Vista has really gone down over the years. Student's (especially in 8th grade, such as myself) are made to feel like a burden to uninterested teachers, who complain about other students (anonymously, thank god) non-stop. They teach unenthusiastically for the most part, and make the material uninteresting, while expecting students to learn without any effort on their part. They also make you feel like a traitor if you ask you're parents for help about stuff going on in school, and about 1/6 of the kids here are either racist, abelist, transphobic, homophobic, or sexist. While a lot more are stuck-up. This school only cares about test, STAAR, and PSAT scores, while completely disregarding students mental health. To expand on that, the stress and high competition of this school is making students feel depressed, anxious, and unwanted, leading to **serious** mental health problems for an estimated 1/4 of the school population. The homework load is insane and irrational, to the point where you must plan weeks in advance if you want to do anything you find fun, even on the weekends. If you aren't in advanced, TAG, or special athletic classes you are seen as less than, and told you "won't make it" at Westwood, and to "do better". On top of this, the councilors and most of the leadership (except Mr. Smith) are terrible. I do not recommend CVMS if you're child isn't **very** academically gifted, as the environment is not for the weak. Keep in mind, this is all coming from a student with currently all A's. On a more positive note however, the variety of clubs is nice, aswell as most 6th grade teachers. The athletics department is also good for people interested in sports and extracurricular activities. The school also has (at the time of writing) a few officers on campus. Band, orchestra, theater, and art classes are well staffed and generally good.In conclusion, I think this school is way too competitive, and uninterested in the students. The negatives greatly outweigh the positives, and I would not recommend this school, especially for 7th and 8th graders.
Submitted by student on November 03, 2023

You'll not find a better middle school than Canyon Vista! It has everything and it's the best!
Submitted by student on May 24, 2023

I tried posting a review onto google reviews but I guess the school administration or wtv didn't approve it, I am an 8th grader so this is my second to last day here. It's better than most schools I'm aware of, you just need good teachers that can actually help you memorize stuff and are forgiving. The social life here is meh, I hear racist and ablest jokes sometimes, they're literally the same recycled joke used for years. People give you weird looks if you're alternative (I dress alternative out of spite, and do exaggerated makeup out of spite,) but it's not bad because you'll find people like you. Really, just find some friends and you'll survive.
Submitted by student on May 20, 2023

As a current 7th grader here, I do enjoy this school. Most teachers really care about the students and are passionate about what they’re teaching (with a few exceptions.) There is a bit of bullying and social hierarchy, though. If you’re not athletic or on a sports team, you can be kind of unnoticed. I was on the volleyball team, and it was very fun, but many teachers were not at all understanding that we didn’t always have enough time to balance the large workload they gave us. I do accelerated math and TAG language arts, and they do make it a bit more challenging than the on level classes, which keeps me more interested. So far, getting good grades has been decently easy, and the actual academic part of the school seems to be fine for most people. I’ve found it easy to make friends, but i know a lot of people who are more quiet and can’t really make friends that easily. There is a TON of drama, but it’s avoidable, just don’t talk to the wrong people. Some white boys when mock the “Indian Accent” and it’s really rude. People make fun of nerds, but usually not to their faces. People will make fun of your outfit if its very expressive. Many people have Snapchat and BeReal, and I do think they can be great ways to connect but people also make fun of other people on there.This being said, CVMS is still a great school, and i really love going there.
Submitted by student on November 29, 2022

This school is amazing, they have so many opportunities and support a lot of different clubs, LGBTQ+ related things and religions. There is some problems with bullying and slight homework issues but overall pretty great. most of the teachers i have met so far are kind and actually care about their students. though i have seen some favoritsm among a few of them.
Submitted by parent on November 13, 2022

Really great school, great teachers and custodians
Submitted by student on February 25, 2022

Over all, it's a nice school but some things could be improved.
Submitted by student on May 08, 2020

I would rate great at this school because some students respects teacher and some students bully each other.
Submitted by parent on April 01, 2019

Band is exceptional. There are some great teachers. Other teachers choose that school so their test scores are high (genetics of student population) and they don't have to do much. Lazy, and play favorites.
Submitted by parent on December 10, 2018

Principals don t return email, espec Ms. H. If parent request a meeting, wait 2 weeks at least. This school is terrible, even if your kid is a very good students. teachers don t teach but expect parents to tutor and teach their kids before giving them long reflective projects. This is ridiculous.
Submitted by parent on September 05, 2017

I have a AA daughter that goes to this school for the last two years. The school is great for diversity and allows for other cultures to be experienced in their courses. Odd that some of the reviews are low.. I believe as long as my daughter is thriving and happy this school will get a A++++In all, CVMS is a good school and allows them to really start thinking about world events as well.
Submitted by other on March 15, 2017

They have great clubs. I like the helping hand club. Keep up the great work.
Submitted by parent on September 07, 2016

As a parent of a TAG (Talented and Gifted) student, I am disappointed with the level of instruction and lack of attention to detail provided at this school. This school is highly rated simply because of the hard work put in by the students and their parents as most of them are academically inclined. There is nothing special about the school and its staff are mostly average. Handing out large homework packets does not make up for poor instruction in class. There are many other schools in Austin which have excellent, dedicated staff but unfortunately are not rated high as they do not have the ideal set of students.
Submitted by parent on June 21, 2014

My kid attended grade 6 here and it was extremely disappointing. this school is not deserving of the 10 or 5 stars I see on the internet. My kid was BORED the entire time in 5th grade part 2. CVMS and RRISD policy is to ignore grades, test scores, and recommendations from other districts - even highly rated districts within Texas. If your kid is high achieving &/ gifted stay out of RRISD and far away from canyon vista. Your intelligent kid will be lumped with the on level or below kids. Canyon vista's only concern for students is perfect attendance and STAAR test results. The TAG counselor told me that the only goal for CVMS is to teach the students how to get through Westwood. It wasn't to teach the students on how to learn or how to be successful. The only positive thing I can say is that my kid felt safe at this school. There isn't any risk of gangs or drugs. Probably because the administration belittles the students to have then believe they are still in elementary school. I really regret sending my kid here and feel duped by all the glitters of the rewards this school flaunts. This school isn't gold.
Submitted by other on June 11, 2014

I really enjoy going to Canyon Vista and the teachers really care about the students, but the only flaw that I personally see is that if you really want to perform well, then there is always going to be a lot of competition , which is a good thing really, but leaves kids frustrated and they perform "lower" than they might in a different school. Which as I said before is a good thing but I guess makes kids more rigid and in the desire to defeat others. But really, this school has increased my standards and has taught me many important lessons and there is a lot of academic opportunity.
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2014

We have now put four children through three different highly respected middle schools, and none of them compare to Canyon Vista. You can't put a price on this level of educational quality or scholastic experience. Top core academics, top extracurricular programs, and a great community.
Submitted by parent on April 18, 2014

This is an excellent school.My daughter loves all of her teachers,they are extremely nice,outstanding,supportive and give specific comments for each student !The staffs help the students exceed in their talents!
Submitted by other on November 10, 2013

really good school. Teacher is nice, band and orchestra are good too!! Great school for children!!
Submitted by parent on November 08, 2013

I have been involved with this school since 2006. The staff is exceptional. They love what they do and really ace about the kids. The whole office support staff are the same way from the principal down. Middle school is a tough time and I cannot imagine sending my children anywhere else
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2011

As a parent with children currently attending this school, and as a teacher myself (but not at this school), I congratulate the teachers at Canyon Vista for always holding students accountable for their own learning, for keeping expectations high, and for going the extra mile to help students whenever they need it. I also appreciate the administration for instituting the sixth grade "Mustang Discovery" elective, which requires sixth graders to learn study/organizational skills, leadership skills, and technology skills. Anyone who knows anything about the challenges that public educators face should be highly impressed the quality of this school. In addition, CVMS receives annual excellent ratings along with one of its feeder schools, Laurel Mountain, and the area high school, Westwood. Their latest kudos come from the nonprofit Children at Risk, which ranks thousands of schools statewide based on standardized test and college entrance exam performance, attendance rates and graduation rates, among other factors. All three of these schools topped this organization's rankings. My children all currently attend these schools, and I could not be more pleased with their educations.