Round Top-Carmine ISD is a Class 1A school consisting of 133 square miles located in northeastern Fayette County approximately 65 miles east of Austin, 91 miles west of Houston and 51 miles southwest of College Station. There are two campuses located in two rural communities. The elementary school is located in Round Top (population 81), and the high school is located in Carmine (population 228). The student enrollment is approximately 240 in grades Pre-K through 12, consisting of 85% Anglo, 11% Hispanic, 4% African American. RT-C has 43 faculty and staff members. The school district has been identified by Texas Education Agency as Exemplary for the years 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2009. In 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, we were rated as Recognized. RT-C is also known for its perennial play-off teams in athletics, state championship volleyball teams, and major livestock show winners. The two communities are known for agriculturally based economy, bed and breakfast accommodations, antique weekends, The Festival-Institute at Round Top, and the Winedale Shakespeare Festival.

The mission of the Round Top-Carmine ISD states its dedication to providing all of its children with educational programs that maximize their individual strengths while helping them to overcome any environmental disparities they may experience and thereby allowing them to develop their full intellectual, physical, and social potentials in a way that:

• Creates an equity-driven achievement-focused school climate
• Creates safe, nurturing, and educationally appropriate environments
• Fosters teamwork and citizenry
• Engages all shareholders in the education of their children
• Focuses upon lifelong learning as both a process and a democratic obligation
• Engages best instructional practices
• Utilizes all relevant instructional technologies
• Recognizes and supports the achievements of all stakeholders and active
participants
• Embraces the innate strength of diversity