We are still in the process of securing a location for our inaugural year, but the plan is to rent a space in south Austin, either in 78745, 78748, or 78652. If you enroll and pay the deposit but our ultimate location ends up being more than 20 minutes from where you live, you will have the option of withdrawing and getting your deposit fully refunded before the school year begins.

We will not be eligible for TEFA/ESA funds this first year, but we hope to check the boxes for eligibility next year or the year after!

Dropoff will likely be from 8:30-9am, and pickup will be from 3-3:30pm. We may be able to offer an afterschool program for an additional cost till 5pm if there’s enough demand.

The tentative schedule for Tues/Weds/Thurs is as follows:

8:30-9:15 - Arrival/outdoor time
9:15-10:00 - Opening circle discussion, life skills
10:00-11:00 - Math support
11:00-11:30 - Reading time
11:30-12:45 - Lunch, cleanup
12:45-1:45 - Writing support
1:45-2:45 - Projects/1:1's
2:45-3:00 - Closing circle discussion
3:00-3:30 - Pickup

Mondays and Fridays will be flex days for families who use the full-time schedule; sometimes we may end up going on field trips or having a guest presenter lead a workshop, but otherwise those days will look something like this:

8:30-10:30 - Arrival (outdoor time, projects, reading)
10:30-11:00 - Discussion of the day
11:00-11:30 - Life skills and space stewardship
11:30-12:45 - Lunch, cleanup
12:45-2:45 - Projects/reading/1:1s
2:45-3:00 - Closing circle discussion
3:00-3:30 - Pickup

TBD! We’re exploring a few options right now, but the priority is to settle on one or more secular curriculum approaches in reading/writing/math for different types of learners. Other curricula we may also incorporate include life skills, social-emotional skills, science, and history.

Our goal is to have the enrollment infrastructure up and running around mid-June or so — thanks for hanging in there, and please let us know if you want to be notified when we’re ready!

We are seeking families who want:

• character-building education in a secular environment that fosters nonviolence and moderation (folks across the religious and political spectrum are welcome as long as they believe in these principles)

• solid academic foundations along with the flexibility for students to pursue their individual interests

• a combination of technological literacy with old-school skills like handwriting, reading books, discussions, and oral presentations

• to raise kids who take initiative in helping others, being accountable for themselves, and handling challenges with resilience

• a welcoming environment in which each child is seen and loved for the individual they are, not defined by the labels and identities that cause groups to fence themselves off from those who are different

We are probably not the best option for those who:

• want a religion-based curriculum or to belong to a school where everyone shares the same political ideologies, dietary practices, etc; we strive for a moderate, pluralistic community where viewpoints may differ, and we understand that that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

• want a heavy emphasis on competitive academics or sports (there are plenty of other schools for that!)

• are completely anti-screens or looking for a nature school

• are looking for a tech-forward, AI-optimized experience

• are not comfortable challenging the cultural normalization of violence, whether real or simulated, and are thus not willing to limit/rethink their kids' exposure to it (movies, video games, lyrics, communication styles, play, etc)

We will have one or two dedicated teachers onsite at all times, along with parents volunteering as desired, and possible part-time staff or visiting instructors depending on the day’s activities.

We want parents to feel supported first and foremost — we are helping to raise your kids to take initiative and be of real, meaningful service to you and the others in their lives starting now. Our hope is that as you begin to feel your load lighten, you might gain the bandwidth to occasionally volunteer at the school, or swap help with other parents outside school hours (for babysitting, home organization, etc). But everyone’s situation is different, so the minimum we ask is for you to help maintain a home environment that supports what we are focusing on at school — kindness, helpfulness, and balance.

We want to set up all students for success, but we are a pretty small operation, and a child with special needs or learning disabilities may be better served by professionals and facilities resourced to accommodate them. However, families who are exploring their options after getting a diagnosis in ADHD, dyslexia, autism, OCD, etc are welcome to give us a try, since we believe in understanding kids as individuals and not as diagnoses. Feel free to reach out and share more about your situation so we can figure out whether we can meet your child’s needs here, or help you to find another school that may be able to serve them better than we can.