Location: Round Rock
12a Lake Drive
Round Rock, TX 78665
Students served: Grades PreK–12th, ages 4–19
Current enrollment: 49 (Early Elementary 15, Elementary 16, Middle School / High School 18); maximum enrollment at current facility = 70; rolling admissions.
Model/philosophy: ESTEAM Academy is an art & tech community, a tribe, a group of passionate, bold people who believe our children's learning journey should be inspired and empowered, and so they have committed to actively working together to build and support this community in doing just that: inspiring, equipping, and connecting each Hero who walks thru the doors to discover their passion, their purpose, and develop the life skills needed to be successful no matter what path they choose in life.
Special features: ESTEAM Academy removes arbitrary considerations like age or time as indicators of what a Hero should or should not be able to do and instead looks at the individual and work to customize their journey with the tools they need to succeed in their own time. No tests! No homework! No grades! It is mastery-based, hands-on, and life skills-focused! Learning is a fun byproduct! Self-paced, student-led, Socratic. This is what real-life learning looks like!
Schedule: Mondays & Fridays 9am–4pm Project-Based Clubs; Tuesday–Thursday 9am–4pm Core & Quest in mixed-aged/leveled Studios. The Academy Program runs September–May; two months of Summer Camps (June and July) included in full-time program and available as optional add-on for part-time programs. 2-day, 3-day, and 5-day program options available.
Tuition: $10,510 for 5-Day Full-Time Program; $8,530 for 3-Day Part-Time Program; $5,450 for 2-Day Part-Time Program. Pay in full or finance options available over 9 or 11 months. Enrollment fee of $500 due at enrollment (deducted from total tuition cost). Some clubs will have additional materials costs. Hardship scholarships available.
Contact: Nicholle Walton-Durban, Co-Founder & Head of School | 310-384-3391 | esteamacademyrr@gmail.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.
