Location
The Mueller neighborhood is fronted by Airport Boulevard and just east of I-35, the neighborhood is only about 2 miles from the University of Texas and 3 miles from Downtown Austin.
About the Mueller Neighborhood
The Mueller neighborhood is an award-winning community built in conformity with new urbanist principles. The master plan includes 700 acres, 140 of which are dedicated to parks and open space. There are several community pools scattered throughout the neighborhood and the public space includes miles of walking/cycling trails. Mueller’s nearby shopping center includes big box stores like Home Depot as well as small shops and a variety of dinning choices. The Dell Children’s center is also part of the development.
History of Mueller
If you have lived in Austin for the last 15 years, the word Mueller probably reminds you of the Mueller development. But not so long ago, where homes and businesses are today, there was once open fields crisscrossed by runways. They made up Austin’s original airport, Mueller Airport. It was named after Robert Mueller, who pronounced his name “Miller” and served on the Austin City Council in the 1920’s.
After opening in the 1930’s, the Mueller airport expanded with the construction of its iconic blue-and-white tower and new terminal in 1961. Now the tower is the only remnant of the airport that stands unused at the Mueller development.
As late as the 1990’s it was easy for anyone to stroll up to the arrival and departure gates at the Mueller airport with minimal screening. Parking was fairly close and it cost $6 per day.
Anyone who drove down Interstate 35 near the airport remembers watching jetliners land at what seemed like only a few feet above the highway. The joke at the time was that drivers could wave to airline passengers and they could wave back.
But 70 years after it opened the end was near. Surrounded by neighborhoods, Mueller had no place to grow. The decision was made to shut it down and make the former Bergstrom Air Force base the new airport. On May 22nd, 1999, the last night of Mueller airport, dignitaries boarded a jetliner lifting off from Mueller airport and landing at the new Austin Bergstrom International Airport. The trip only took a few minutes.
It took a little longer for the procession of baggage carts and airport equipment to go from Mueller to the new airport. A mile long caravan at five miles per hour moved the runway equipment to it home at the new airport.
Homes in Mueller
As a new mixed-use community, the Mueller neighborhood includes a variety of home styles, such as row houses, garden homes arranged around a central courtyard, condominiums, along with traditional detached single-family homes. There are also active adult apartment homes dedicated to those aged 55+.
Public Schools
Blanton Elementary School is a highly rated public school located in Austin, TX. It has 598 students in grades PK-5 with a student teacher ratio of 15 to 1. 57% of students are proficient in math while 47% of students are proficient in reading.
Maplewood Elementary School is a highly rated public school located in Austin, TX. It has 387 students in grades PK-5 with a student teacher ration of 12 to 1. 52% of the students are proficient in math and 57% of the students are proficient in reading. Maplewood elementary incorporates the arts into all of its classes, allowing students to make connections in a variety of ways.
Lamar Middle School is a highly rated middle school with 1,230 students and a 17 to 1 student teacher ratio. 66% of students are proficient in math while 69% of students are proficient in reading. Lamar Middle School, home to one of the district’s middle school Fine Arts academies, provides a robust program for students across Austin in visual arts, dance, band, orchestra, choral music, drama, classical guitar, piano, digital arts and media. As the primary feeder school for McCallum High School, the school is strongly aligned with McCallum’s fine arts programs. Lamar’s academic programs are comprehensive and rigorous, and its athletics programs are dynamic. In 2013 and 2014, Lamar Middle School’s Jazz Factory was ranked as the top middle school jazz ensemble in the nation in the Mark of Excellence Recording Competition from The Foundation for Music Education. Jazz Factory has received numerous awards, from competing in Festival Disney in 2014 to being invited to the 69th annual Midwest Clinic in Chicago this year. Listen to the Lamar Middle School Symphonic Winds.
Northeast Early College High School (formerly Reagan High School) is an above average public school located in Austin, TX with a student to teacher ratio of 14 to 1. 55% of students are at least proficient in math, while 38% are proficient in Reading.
At Northeast Early College High School, students are not only preparing for college tomorrow, they are attending college today. Northeast offers students the opportunity to graduate with a diploma in one hand and an associate degree in the other—for free.
Through an exciting and innovative partnership with Austin Community College, every student can enroll in college-level classes. In addition to earning college credit, students are preparing to compete in the work force, while saving thousands of dollars in college costs.
Northeast ECHS is a diverse and closely knit community of learners and leaders in Northeast Austin. The school offers a world of opportunities—from arts and athletics to hospitality and health sciences—to help students achieve their greatest potential. Northeast offers career and technology classes and a path to industry certifications in the fields of audio and video production, engineering and health sciences.
Northeast is home to vibrant and competitive arts and athletics programs, including the award-winning marching band and the beloved football team, which Sports Illustrated featured as one of its nationally inspiring “Underdogs.”
Working with families and community partners, Northeast stands at the forefront of an innovative new movement for equity and excellence in education: the community schools model, which recognizes all children have the potential to meet high expectations in the right environment. Northeast ECHS is part of the Northeast Austin Communities for Educational Readiness (learn more at www.nacer.org)
