Location: South Austin
11819 S IH 35 (near Slaughter)
Austin, TX 78747
Students served: Students in grades 6–12 who who thrive in smaller spaces and perform best when learning at their own pace with personalized support
Current enrollment: Launching Fall 2026 and enrolling now for the 2026–2027 school year; each learning pod will be 10–12 students to one learning coach
Model/philosophy: Athena commits to providing a small, year-round, blended learning environment where students engage in a relationship-centered program. Athena fosters a love of learning, allows students to feel safe to be themselves, and ensures they develop strong life and leadership skills that support their college, career, and adulthood readiness.
Special features: Year-long, self-paced, blended learning program; full-time program; mixed-age learning pods; daily enrichment, including Athena's Council (Leadership Program) and Voces (Spanish Program); Flex Fridays rotate between meaningful community service opportunities and fun excursions in the Austin area; student opportunities for leading and/or participating in student clubs; Founder and Lead Learning Coach has 21+ years of education and education leadership experience in the Houston and Austin areas
Schedule: Monday–Thursday 8:30am–3:30pm, Friday 8:30am–12pm; year-round with 2-week intercessions every 6/7 weeks; optional after-school program and tutoring available Monday–Thursday 3:30–5:00pm
Tuition: $17,000 annual tuition; monthly payment option available; sibling discounts; $150 one-time, non-refundable application fee; TEFA-approved, find Athena on Odyssey!
Contact: Mily Pérez, Founder | info@amaustin.org
Each listing in this alphabetical directory gives you a snapshot of a small, secular, independent, alternative school in the Austin area.
Hover over and click on a school’s name at the top of its listing to open the school’s website in a new tab. This frequently updated list spans several pages, with navigation buttons at the bottom. 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 an adult, 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.
