After a few years in one of the best-rated public schools in the area, we realized that our…read moredaughter was not thriving in the high structure, high pressure environment that is public education. In an effort to find a schooling alternative that would feed her curiosity and creativity, we embarked on a tour of a handful of private elementary options in the south Austin and Hays County area. Because of the long commute and high financial commitment, Cedars Montessori did not rank high on our preliminary list. During our tour of their beautiful campus, Cedars offered us the opportunity to sit in a classroom and quietly observe our daughter's prospective class. What we experienced was absolutely magical: Three grade levels of children working independently, in partners, and in groups; teachers completely focused on their students; a warm, organized but cozy classroom with seating options to meet every child's needs. If you have ever spent time in a public school classroom, you know that it's usually either silence or chaos. The vibe just felt peaceful and productive. When we took the leap and moved our daughter into Cedars Montessori's Lower Elementary, we were thrilled to watch her love for school blossom. She has lots of opportunities for play and exploration. She's learning valuable skills during wilderness, gardening, and handwork classes. And she's finding an internal motivation toward writing, math, and research projects. We wish this type of learning environment could be available for everyone and feel so immensely privileged to have our child in this program. If you are looking for something different and wonderful, Cedars Montessori is truly an incredible school and a magical place to send your child.

We spent three years here: one in primary and two in lower elementary. We felt so grateful to find…read morethis place our first year. We were very happy with the teacher and the programming, and the school offered many opportunities to build community. At the end of the first year, there was a large change in leadership, and conditions have deteriorated considerably. It became apparent to our family that the administration was no longer acting in the interest of the children. The school is owned and run by a family. It is a for-profit institution with no oversight or accountability. The current leadership's actions indicate the school's purpose is to support themselves and maintain a bizarre class structure for the benefit of the family's children. The nepotism has become so overt that even our young children are expressing examples. Funding favors advertising and recruiting new students over recruiting and retaining qualified staff or providing quality programming. All community-building opportunities have been undermined or dismantled. Parents are shut-out. Communication is abysmal, unprofessional at best. Concerns are gas-lighted. Grownups behave poorly and do not lead by example. There are no benchmarks for academics and children are assessed as behind at other institutions. The teachers withhold recess as punishment. The focus on the outdoors, how much time the children spend outside, the children interacting with animals, how nature is incorporated into the curriculum: it's a facade. Now that we have begun anew at a new school, we remember the excitement and hopefulness that we once had for our children at Cedars before we became habituated to wild disorganization, dysfunction, and dread. Some really amazing families and staff have held on through some very challenging times with memories of what it once was and with hope that things would get better, that our children could still thrive there. Yet the school is rehiring failed staff and even more family. There is now a mass exodus of both students and quality staff, with the realization that our children don't have any more time to waste on selfishness, greed, and gross ineptitude.

Our daughter is off to kindergarten in a couple of weeks, and I am feeling so emotional saying…read moregoodbye to Renaissance! I tell everyone I know about this wonderful school. The teachers here take such pride in what they do, and such care and focus on each child. My daughter loves it so much that she asked if she could go back to school even on summer break. We are so grateful to Ms. Erin, all the teachers at Renaissance, and Cassidy's stewardship. Renaissance is such a gem of a school, and will be missed dearly!

As we come to the end of our time at this Montessori school after six wonderful years, I wanted to…read moreleave a review. Both of our kids went here, and now that our youngest is moving on to kindergarten elsewhere, it feels bittersweet as we're really going to miss this place. The school has been amazing at meeting each of our kids where they are. They found ways to challenge and support them as individuals, helping them grow socially, emotionally, and academically. They built strong relationships with their teachers and classmates, and saying goodbye hasn't been easy. Our eldest started kindergarten well ahead of where the typical curriculum begins and we're confident our youngest is also set up for similar success. We're incredibly thankful to Cassidy, Mr and Ms. Wallin, Ms. Erin, and the rest of the teachers during our time there for the years we've spent at this school and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to other families.

St. Andrew's is the WORST Episcopal school in ATX. The teachers are horrible, especially that…read moreAWFUL English teacher, Kay Hart, who was there, back in the day. She forced the kids in our family to read material that was disturbing and inappropriate. They should have had a better principal, or HR team, that could have prevented this. The science teachers, Stephanie Jenkins and Anne Donovan, were also lousy, and they seemed to resent the very attractive students. Perhaps, this was because they were not attractive, themselves. Please keep your children clear of this place. Thank you, and God bless!

This is a review for the Dell Performing Arts Center at St. Andrew's Episcopal School - A Hidden…read moreGem! (5/5) We didn't even know this place existed, but what a pleasant surprise! The Dell Performing Arts Center is a small, cozy theater with great views of the stage from every seat. The intimate setting made for a wonderful experience. Parking was convenient, with a lot right in front of the theater and overflow parking available. Check-in for the show was smooth and hassle-free, and there's even a concession stand before you enter. The audio quality was excellent, making every performance clear and engaging. Overall, a fantastic venue for performances--well-organized, comfortable, and a great addition to Austin's arts scene!

Our daughter has attended 4Points Academy for their Summer Quest Program and 1st Grade. She…read moreabsolutely loves the school, her teachers and her virtual friends! Her teachers are incredible and the academic program is great. 4Points does an amazing job at integrating compassion into their teaching standards, emphasizing the importance of values, and building future leaders through each of their classes and lessons. The lower student to teacher ratio, gives our child more confidence when asking questions, engaging in group activities, and opportunities for one-on-one time with the teachers. All of the teachers are passionate about seeing their students succeed. They are so great about sharing moments of pride they see within your child when it comes to their good behaviors and achievements Great team - great school!

We enrolled our daughter into 4 points academy in 2020. She has excelled. She loves going to…read moreschool everyday to learn, to see her friends and to see her teachers. 4 points academy is wonderful.

Toured the school and submitted application and fee. Received absolutely no communication in…read moreresponse even after following up myself.

Had a few hiccups in the beginning with a teacher that's no longer there. The rest of the staff are…read morewonderful and treat the kids with such kindness. I definitely recommend.

We love the Huntington-Surrey School. It is what school should be! The teachers at HS love teaching…read morethere because they can enjoy their profession, without worrying about huge class sizes or standardized testing. Very small class sizes ensure that nobody gets left behind. This is a quality not quantity place. The school has a wonderful, caring environment and we are thrilled that we discovered it.

Huntington Surrey has provided an excellent education to my daughter during her four years of…read moreattendance. The most striking feature of the school is the very small class size and the extraordinary personal attention that each child receives from the school's devoted staff. Nearly all of the teachers have taught at the school for a long period of time. Dr. German has operated the school since the 70's, and has a masterful knowledge of how to work with high school students. Without fail, I found each teacher and advisor to be fully committed to my daughter's education, and meticulous in their assessment of strenghs and weaknesses. More importantly, these teacher had the time to dovetail the curriculum to the needs so carefully determined. I have no doubt that my daughter's success relied upon this very unique approach to education. This small, nurturing environment has afforded my daughter a very enriching high school experience. She blossomed at Huntington Surrey. She leaves well prepared for college, and with happy memories of her high school years. For this, I am very grateful to the school, and to its remarkably-devoted faculty.

We have been at City School for three years and are overwhelmingly impressed with the loving…read moreculture and community. We are grateful for the way our child is seen and developed by her teachers, and for the friendships we have made with other City School parents. We are thankful for the way that this school has partnered with us in to surround our child with believers who are invested in her growth and flourishing

My family loves CitySchool! It's been the best support to my family this past year. This is my…read moredaughter's second year there, she attended Pre-K with Ms. Carson and Mrs. Zaunbrecher. On the last day of school last year, I lost my job and I was devastated. The first thought that crossed my mind was I wouldn't be able to send my daughter for another year because there was no way we would be able to afford tuition. And actually, we were already receiving a 50% discount. This was devastating for a plethora of reasons. One, I was desperate to have my child keep receiving a Christ centered education AND, I was so scared to lose touch with the community that we had built over the past year. So with a heavy heart I went to Karon (the Director) and Laura (Director of Community Engagemen) and told them we needed to unenroll my daughter from attending the next (THIS YEAR 24-25). The first thing they said was not, ok lets get her unenrolled but: We're so sorry this happened - do NOT unenroll her. It is more important for her to have this Christ centered education than it is for you to worry about how you will pay for it. We WILL work this out. And also, how else can we support you? They will forever have my heart for how they handled this. I also love it for the fruits I see taking root in my daughter. Conflict resolution, spiritual and emotional character development. They see the child as a whole and fully formed person and they nurture them. The community is just, beautiful and kind and loving and SAFE and everything I really wanted/needed as a child. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts! Love, The Horning Family

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!