100000 stars!! There aren't enough words to say how AMAZING this school is!!! Athena is a special,…read moremagical gem and we feel so absolutely lucky to have found it. The teachers and the atmosphere just radiate peace and positivity. The quality of education is incredible. My son turned 5 yesterday and is already about to start reading!! The amount of personal attention and care each student receives is incredible. My second child is about to "walk through the gates of life" this May and head to kindergarten.. I am honestly heartbroken to not go there everyday anymore lol! We have had a child there for the past 5 years and if I could keep them there forever, I would! We have had the honor to get to know Ms. Alex, Ms. Jazmin and Ms. Morgan over the years and these women are absolutely INCREDIBLE! They have huge hearts and really LOVE what they do, and it shows!! They have a magic way of connecting, communicating and relating to the kids. We are so THANKFUL for the values and knowledge they have bestowed in our children that will shape who they become forever!! We love each of you so much!! My kids made me promise to always take them back to say hello as they grow...that speaks volumes in my book. Athena is a purely magical place!

We have been blown away by our experience with Athena. The support and caring from the staff has…read morebeen amazing. Our son has flourished at the school. The growth from August until now has been exponential on all fronts. He is more independent, communicating more and becoming a member of his classroom community. The other parents as well have created a lovely community and support system as well. My husband and I didn't realize just how lucky we were to get a spot in the school!

INIC sets such a high bar for quality, it was very difficult to transition to a new school once we…read moreleft the Austin area. Our two-year-old only attended INIC for a few months in early 2022 and was in Toddler C. When we were just getting to know the school, Andrea (the director) was very helpful in answering all of our questions, provided us with a tour, and helped ease our concerns, this being the first time our son had been away from us for extended periods. During the first month, our son cried everyday, picked up different bugs, and struggled to adjust to the new environment. But everyone at INIC was so patient and understanding, working with us to get our son slowly acclimated to school. After about a month, our toddler started to look forward to school, especially to the special celebratory days. One day at home, he even started counting in Spanish. :-) Throughout this time, we got daily updates from his teachers, Ms. Karla and Ms. Estela, on how he was doing. When he finally started having good days, they were just as excited as we were, and it really felt like a partnership! Can't thank the teachers and staff at INIC enough for giving us the peace of mind when it came to the care of our son. We really miss them!

My family was part of the INIC community for nearly four years. I sent both of my daughters there…read moreas infants and previously left a 5-star review. I would have enthusiastically recommended this school. Today, I cannot. The issue is not the teachers. The teachers have been exceptional and are the reason so many families choose this school. Despite years of tuition increases and persistent concerns from teachers and families, the school has not made the investments necessary to retain them. In early March alone, at least 7 teachers left or announced their departures--nearly 20% of the teaching staff by parents' count. Both of my daughters experienced unexpected teacher departures in their classrooms during that same period. For young children, teachers are not interchangeable. They are trusted caregivers and a critical source of stability. When teachers leave, children lose important relationships and families are left helping them navigate yet another transition. During enrollment, families are told classrooms are staffed with a lead teacher, an assistant teacher, and additional flex staff available for coverage. In reality, my oldest daughter's classroom frequently operated at the legal minimum ratio of one teacher for fifteen four-year-olds. Multiple current and former teachers described being unable to reliably use sick days, vacation days, or even take basic bathroom breaks because there was often insufficient coverage available. When a school is staffed so leanly that teachers struggle to meet basic human needs during the day, it raises serious questions about how well both teachers and students are being supported. Teachers reported compensation in the $14-$17/hour range despite bilingual education being one of the school's primary differentiators. Comparable non-bilingual childcare positions in Austin often advertise higher wages. The result is predictable: teachers leave. Children lose stability. Families absorb the consequences. Demand for bilingual childcare in Austin far exceeds supply, and many families have few realistic alternatives once enrolled. Given that reality--and given that tuition has continued to increase year after year--I expected a greater commitment to investing in the teachers and staffing stability that families are ultimately paying for. Parents who attempted to ask questions and advocate for improvements--including efforts to reestablish the PTA--often received little to no response. While our family's relationship with the school ultimately ended following disagreements with leadership about these issues, the concerns described here are based on nearly four years of experience and conversations with numerous current and former teachers and families. The teachers are the school's greatest strength. The challenge is whether the school will make the investments necessary to retain them long enough to provide the stability and continuity that young children deserve.

An absolutely beautiful school with a well laid out curriculum and intense attention to detail. I…read moreknew I wanted to send my son here after touring dozens of pre-k's. This was the cleanest and safest ( private security ) option in Austin. The teachers genuinely care and the gym class/new inclosed playground is amazing for busy little bodies. The low student to teacher ratio is key, and they even bring in authors from the local book store for story time. Ashley is incredibly thoughtful and the care and love that has gone into the school is visible from day one.

There could never be words to describe how incredible Wonderwell is. Before having children, I used…read moreto think people who cared so much about preschool were silly. But now having two young kids, and knowing the importance of education at this important developmental stage, I know that there really is so much young children need to thrive. Wonderwell is not only the best preschool in Austin, but in the country in my opinion. My son went there for three years and my daughter for a year before we had to move out of state. Leaving this school was the hardest part. My son started when he was 2, he could barely speak and was SO shy. When we left, he was so confident, a true leader, and LOVED school. The teachers, the staff, the other families, are all above and beyond. I couldn't love or recommend Wonderwell more!

Town & Country Montessori is THE TRUEST MONTESSORI. To the future families whom are seeking a…read moreMontessori for their child's development- WELCOME to the abundance of care and genuine kindness. Most of the Teachers have been teaching at this school for 30 + years, which says a lot for stability. My 3 year old son has developed verbally and socially with this loving school community and we feel grateful. I recommend Town & Country Montessori. With Gratitude Bexar D. Leonard

My daughter just turned three and she has been at T&C since we moved to Austin in May. She took to…read morethe environment immediately and has been very happy with school. The schedule is great as it is often difficult to find infant/toddler Montessori full time with pick up through 6pm. The tuition is very reasonable for such a long-standing Montessori program. The teachers are all very nice and approachable and seem to genuinely love the children. They follow AISD calendar which is great if you have had experience with Montessori schools where there are often extended random breaks throughout the school year. Really glad we found this school.

Every day I am more and more amazed at how caring,professional and sincere the teachers at…read moreMainspring School are. My granddaughters are both under three years old and look forward to going to school every day. When I pick them up they tell me they had a great day and they say that every day.

I love this place it has the best Teachers.Staff..and very structured days…read more I Love the commitment of the staff and the way the children are taken care of. The smiling faces of all the children is a great indicator of a great school.

This school is amazing for several reasons: first off, it's a trilingual school, integrating…read moreEnglish, Spanish, and American Sign Language into its lessons. It's also a holistic school, meaning the whole child is considered, not just academics. Lastly, the low ratios and affordable tuition make it accessable to all types of families. I highly recommend this school for anyone looking for something different and unique.

Choking back tears we said goodbye -not to our kids- they're in the backseat arguing about…read morecrackers. We were going to miss the warmest daycare with heart that exists. They got us through Covid with an infant, prepared her to thrive in kindergarten. They seamlessly worked with us to help our son with special needs. Their staff was a natural extension of our kids community. The infant room teacher attended her PreK graduation. This daycare is one of the few that is actually worth the cost.

My second child will be graduating from SMS next week and I can't believe our time here is coming…read moreto an end! The SMS staff and families have been such a huge and wonderful part of our lives for 8 years. It was hard dropping my older son off for the first time (at 3 months), but when it came time to drop my younger son off for the first time (also at 3 months), I knew he was going to be in such great hands, it really was like leaving him with family! I also believe that my older son's smooth transition into kinder was thanks to the 'academic' and social learning he experienced at SMS.

We have absolutely loved the Woodland Schoolhouse. During the pandemic, our family planned to keep…read moreour 4 year old son at home. But once we learned about Ms. Nicole's outdoor school option and small class size, we had to take the opportunity. My son loved spending his days hiking, catching frogs, building forts, and learning about snakes, insects, and edible plants. He came home snuggly, tired, and happy after a full day of adventure and play. The best part of the Woodland Schoolhouse is the positive community Ms. Nicole creates everyday. She teaches children to be inclusive, speak kindly, and set respectful boundaries with one another. She is a wonderful communicator and was always willing to talk with me when we had concerns about our son. Ms. Nicole is a teacher who gives 100% of her best energy and takes the time to really know each child individually. We are so thankful our son was able to spend this year at the Woodland Schoolhouse and look forward to when our daughter can join next year.

We had had enrolled our son in a very popular south Austin preschool right before he turned 3. He…read morehated it. The teacher said he never talked, they rarely went outside and most of the day was spent sitting at a table doing table work. I searched high and low and just couldnt either find a place I liked or had openings. I called probably about 30 places and toured about 10. I came across an alt ed website and found Woodland Schoolhouse. It's run by a lovely woman named Nicole out of part of her home she has converted to be solely dedicated to school space. Words cannot express how thankful we are for Nicole and her teaching assistants. Under her care, I have watched my son find his voice. He loves school and loves Nicole. Some of the things I love about Woodland? Nicole's patience. At this age, so much of the learning is social interaction. She doesn't "deal with the kids", she gives the tools to deal with things on their own. What's the adage about give a man a fish, feed him for a meal...teach him to fish, he eats for life? I watch her patiently teach the kids to verbalize their thoughts and feelings and consequently how to respond to another's. I've watched her model and instruct these little people to have better communication skills than many grown adults I've known. We've frequently encountered another child upset or lashing out (in normal child like ways and not at school). My son has my son has learned to keep his cool and I often hear him telling his friends or family "it's ok, accidents happen." He has also learned to calmly and confidently tell others when he's not ok with things instead of getting upset or walked all over. I love that the kids spend so much time exploring outside. She encourages imagination and independence. My son is learning how capable he is of so many things both mentally and physically. I read somewhere that the core of a child's personality is set by the age of 5. With this in mind, I took it very seriously who I left my son with. I wanted someone who I felt could offset our weaknesses as parents to help develop a well rounded little person. Both my husband and I couldn't be happier and only wish we had found her sooner. We will be forever grateful for the time our son did spend at Woodland. While we are excited to see him enter kindergarten in the fall and having another son whom is 17, we know we will never have it as good as Woodland again.