Location: Ten minutes east of Dripping Springs (290 & RR12), just off Hwy 290
Students served: 18 months to five years
Current enrollment: 11 children over the week; almost all are part-time; maximum class size is 6; child:teacher ratio is 6:1
Model/philosophy: Inspired by the principles of Waldorf Early Childhood Education and LifeWays Early Childhood teachings
Special features: An in-home early childhood program in its 17th year, on 2.5 acres with beautiful live oaks, native grasses and flowers. The almost-quarter-acre, fenced, half-wild area known as “the meadow,” where the children go in the second half of the morning, is at the heart of everything—playing, gardening, climbing trees, noticing nature. Once a week the children play in the patch of woods where gnomes live. In the first part of the morning the children are inside, playing with wooden toys and silk cloths, doing beautiful artistic activities, preparing snack, having circle. Puppet play before lunch. Lantern walk and Maypole festivals. Six children may come each day, ranging in age. Mixed age is lovely. It’s a warm, joyful, peaceful place for children to be.
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8am–3pm. Part-time and half-day (8am–1pm) possible. School year follows Austin Waldorf School calendar. Separate summer program for the month of June (same days/hours availability). Closed July and most of August.
Tuition: 5 days/week full-day tuition for 2025–2026 school year is $1,760/month. 5 days/week half-day tuition is $1,460/month. Tuition pro-rates with number of days. Tuition for children under 2.5 years is 15% over these rates. $275 annual registration fee. Tuition will increase in 2026–2027 by 5%.
Contact: Lindsey Falconer | 512-964 5886 | lfalconer3@sunflowergardenaustin.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.
