Location: Leander
1400 Spivey Road
Leander, TX 78641
Students served: K–12 (currently serving ages 5–15)
Current enrollment: 32 students (with 4 guides + the head of school)
Model/philosophy: Oak Ridge Academy provides a learner-led, curiosity-driven education, by guiding learners to resources, giving them support and encouragement, asking them challenging questions, and cultivating a culture that celebrates growth. Much of the day is spent outside, working on projects in the maker-space, gardening seasonal fruits and vegetables, or working independently to earn learning badges.
Special features: Oak Ridge Academy utilizes its outdoor space to teach children about sustainability practices, gardening, farm-animal care, and connecting with nature. Amidst the everyday academic learning, children also gain insight into care-taking the earth through innovation and strategic living.
Schedule: 9am–4pm, Monday–Friday, all months except August
Tuition: $1,000 monthly for 11 months per school year
Contact: Stephanie U'Ren, Head of School | stephu@oakridgelearning.com
Each listing in this alphabetical directory gives you a snapshot of a small, independent, alternative school in the Austin area.
This frequently updated list spans several pages, with navigation buttons at the bottom. Clicking on the name of a school will take you to its own website. To easily find schools by geographical area, see our Alt Ed Maps page. If you know of a school that’s missing from this directory, please drop a note here, and see Alt Ed Austin’s criteria for “alternative” and “school.” You may also be interested in our directories of other recommended schools (which are mostly larger or more specialized or religiously oriented), as well as special programs for children and adults.
Full disclosure: Alt Ed Austin founder Teri Sperry has ties with several of the schools listed on this site. Her child, now in graduate school, attended two of them years ago. She has friends who direct, teach at, or are otherwise involved in others. Some programs choose to advertise from time to time on Alt Ed Austin as Sponsoring Partners. She firmly believes that all of the schools featured on this site (including the ones to which she has no personal connection and those from which she receives no advertising fees) are good choices for some kids, each for different reasons.
