Location: Cedar Park; operates out of Rockbridge Church
2001 W New Hope Dr
Cedar Park, TX 78613
Students served: PreK–6th grade
Current enrollment: Mondays 30, Tuesdays–Thursdays 10
Model/philosophy: Nature’s Schoolhouse is a small, mixed-age microschool in Cedar Park, TX, serving K–6th grade learners. Students are organized into two close-knit cohorts—Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary—each with 6–10 children. The core program provides structured academics in a flexible, family-honoring format, utilizing a blended curriculum to support individualized pacing and growth. On Mondays, the school hosts Trailblazer Discovery Days, a larger, hands-on enrichment program that also welcomes families from the broader homeschooling community. Learners spend significant time outdoors, with free play and exploration encouraged as essential parts of the day, allowing for organic learning and social development. Nature’s Schoolhouse follows a progressive, constructivist, and nature-based philosophy, blending structured academics with hands-on experiences, outdoor exploration, and free play.
Special features: Nature’s Schoolhouse is located on a beautiful 10-acre campus with ample outdoor space for play, exploration, and hands-on learning. The school includes a full kitchen for culinary lessons and offers a Monday–Thursday schedule that balances structured academics with family time. Learning takes place in a one-room schoolhouse style setting, combining small-group lessons with self-paced work supported by blended methods (digital, hands-on, and paper-based). A secular and inclusive environment welcomes learners of all abilities and backgrounds. Family gatherings, field trips, and community events foster strong connections, while an emphasis on low-stress learning, relationship building, and whole-child growth ensures that students develop both academically and personally in a supportive setting.
Schedule: Mondays, 9am–3:30pm (September–May); Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9am–2pm (year-round with seasonal breaks). The school does not offer after-school or Friday care, but can provide families with an extensive list of recommended local programs that complement their schedule for extended care or enrichment.
Tuition: Full-time is tuition is $11,440 annually or 11 monthly payments of $1040, with a $500 New Student Enrollment Fee, $200 annual Re-Enrollment fee, and $700 annual Material Fee; scholarships available. Mondays-only tuition is $2,325 annually or $300 deposit + 9 monthly payments of $225. Discounts available.
Contact: Nicole Tomayko, Director | nicole@naturesschoolhouse.com
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.
