About Gus Almquist Middle
Gus Almquist Middle, in Hutto Independent School District, serves grades 6-8 in the HISD attendance zone.
The campus offers Gifted & Talented services, Special Education programming, fine arts (band, choir, theatre, orchestra), and the standard UIL middle-school athletics slate that prepares students for HISD's high-school programs. Gus Almquist Middle feeds Hutto High School for high school.
HISD operates 13 campuses (8 ES + 3 MS + Hutto HS + Hutto 9th Grade Center) serving approximately 11,101 students (2025-26). HISD earned a "C" overall TEA accountability rating for 2025-2026 (75 of 100), its fourth consecutive "C"; its four-year graduation rate was 93.6% in 2024-25. District administration is at 200 College Street in Hutto.
Living in Gus Almquist Middle
The Gus Almquist Middle School attendance zone covers the western Hutto / Star Ranch / Riverwalk area along the Hutto / Round Rock boundary. The campus at 401 Halverson Cv sits in west Hutto serving the Star Ranch master-planned community area. Almquist MS feeds primarily into the Hutto 9th Grade Center, with students continuing to Hutto HS for grades 10-12.
Hutto High School at 101 Chris Kelley Boulevard (Hutto 78634) is HISD's comprehensive high school — and the only U.S. high school whose mascot is the Hippo. UIL Class 6A; mascot Hippos (with Henrietta the Hippo as the school's living mascot statue at the Hutto Chamber of Commerce); colors orange and white. Principal Ryan Burns. Enrollment approximately 2,313 (2025).
Hutto is the only U.S. city with a hippo as its mascot. Per local legend documented in Community Impact and the Hutto Chamber of Commerce, the tradition dates to 1915 when a circus train stopped in Hutto, a hippo escaped toward Cottonwood Creek, and the depot agent telegraphed nearby towns with the now-famous message "STOP TRAINS, HIPPO LOOSE IN HUTTO." A hippo first appeared on Hutto HS graduation announcements as early as 1923. In September 1992, the Hutto Chamber of Commerce brought Henrietta the Hippo — a 14,000+ pound concrete statue — to Hutto from Double D Statuary in Sinton, TX. The Chamber has since sold 3,000+ smaller hippo statues placed at homes and businesses across the city.
The Hutto HS attendance zone is fed by Hutto Middle School and Farley Middle School (with Almquist MS rounding out HISD's 3 middle schools — Almquist primarily feeds the Hutto 9th Grade Center which then continues to Hutto HS for grades 10-12) plus 7+ elementaries including Cottonwood Creek, Hutto Elementary, Veterans' Hill, Howard Norman, Nadine Johnson, Ray, and Benjamin "Doc" Kerley. The zone covers approximately 75 square miles centered on the city of Hutto (2020 Census population 27,577) in Williamson County, with portions extending west into Round Rock, east into Taylor, and south into northern Travis County.
Hutto HS state athletic titles include volleyball (1999, 2A) and tennis (2016, 5A). Notable Hippo alumni include NFL wide receivers Davion Davis (San Francisco 49ers) and Jeremy Kerley (Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets — over 200 NFL career receptions).
Master-planned and large-subdivision communities include Star Ranch (with the Star Ranch Golf Club), Emory Farms, Riverwalk, Lookout at Brushy Creek, Mager Meadows, Oasis at Brushy Creek, and Carmel. The historic core of the city sits along Hutto's traditional Front Street downtown north of the railroad. Day-to-day retail centers on the Highway 79 corridor running through downtown Hutto and the Toll 130 / FM 685 / FM 1660 interchanges. Healthcare access centers on Baylor Scott & White Round Rock and Ascension Seton Williamson.
Outdoor recreation centers on the Brushy Creek Regional Trail (which connects through Round Rock to Cedar Park along Brushy Creek), Cottonwood Creek crossings inside the city, and the city park system including Fritz Park and the developing Star Ranch parks. Round Rock's Old Settlers Park (with Dell Diamond, the Round Rock Express AAA baseball stadium) is a short drive west.
Frequently Asked Questions
What grades does Gus Almquist Middle serve?
Gus Almquist Middle serves grades 6-8 in Hutto Independent School District.
What is Gus Almquist Middle's feeder high school?
Gus Almquist Middle feeds Hutto High School for grades 9-12.
How is Gus Almquist Middle rated?
Gus Almquist Middle operates inside Hutto Independent School District. HISD earned a "C" overall TEA accountability rating for 2025-2026 (75 of 100), its fourth consecutive "C"; its four-year graduation rate was 93.6% in 2024-25.
Which programs does the campus offer?
Gus Almquist Middle runs Gifted & Talented services, Special Education programming, fine arts (band, choir, theatre, orchestra), and the standard UIL middle-school athletics slate.
How many schools does HISD operate?
HISD operates 13 campuses (8 ES + 3 MS + Hutto HS + Hutto 9th Grade Center) serving approximately 11,101 students (2025-26): 8 elementary schools, 3 middle schools (Hutto Middle, Farley Middle, Gus Almquist Middle), and 2 high-school-level campuses (Hutto HS plus the Hutto 9th Grade Center).
