Our experience with Sterling Classical School has been incredibly disappointing and, honestly,…read moreexhausting,for both students and parents. The part-time structure creates a significant mental strain on students. They are expected to manage a heavy academic load largely on their own, with minimal guidance or support. If your child cannot independently master material--and if you, as a parent, are not prepared to essentially take on the role of a part-time teacher, this is not the right environment. Communication is one of the biggest failures. Multiple follow-ups with teachers and even the dean, Ms. Taggert, often go unanswered. There is little accountability, and concerns frequently go ignored unless escalated to a larger group. For example, an entire class was failing a course this year, and it wasn't addressed until multiple parents brought it forward collectively, and even then, the administration seemed completely unaware. Student life is practically nonexistent. The workload leaves little to no room for social interaction or participation in outside activities, including sports. It's an isolating experience that can take a toll on a student's well-being. There is also a noticeable lack of stability within the school. Teacher turnover appears high, likely due to low pay, and student retention is equally poor. That alone should raise concerns. Another issue that stood out during our time there and even during tours is the lack of attention to basic standards. Hygiene concerns among students go unaddressed, and classroom environments can be unpleasant, which is surprising and concerning for any school setting. Finally, a serious warning: do not pay upfront. Families are locked into tuition with no refunds, and there have been issues with transcripts being withheld, adding unnecessary stress to an already difficult situation. There were many red flags that, in hindsight, we wish we had taken more seriously. If sharing this helps even one family avoid the same experience, it's worth it.

Our family paid Sterling Classical School $13,000 in advance for our child's 2025-2026 tuition…read moreusing funds from our 529 savings plan. Due to an unexpected period of unemployment, we had to withdraw months before the school year began. Despite our financial hardship and ample notice, the school refused to return even a portion of the money -- citing a no-refund policy buried in their paperwork. We reached out multiple times, including through an attorney, and were met with a dismissive response. The school even said our child could re-enroll but still refused to return any funds, even though no services were provided. It's deeply disappointing that a Christian school would choose policy over fairness and compassion. I share this so other families can be aware of how Sterling handles situations of hardship and withdrawal.

The Oakridge kids at their makers market. They had so much fun learning how to come up with a…read morebusiness idea and follow it through to sales.

Oakridge has been life changing for our daughter and our family…read more We first came to Oakridge because we were most interested in getting support for our 8 year old daughter who had gone through a big loss within our family. This loss caused a lot of anxiety and fear. It was critical that our daughter get personalized support at school to not just "deal" with the fear, but overcome it. I am proud to say that our daughter is now THRIVING. Her fears and anxieties are GONE and she is SO confident. Her emotional social and academic skills are light years above her peers. We love the guides/ teachers, peers, and community and we are now committed to staying at Oakridge Academy for the long-term. We have made long lasting connections and couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

Classes stopped in May 2026 and have not resumed. I paid €185 for 24 lessons that were never…read moreprovided and there is still no clear update regarding a refund or a restart date.

This is a place where administrators are rude to parents and the teaching are not straight forward…read morecurriculum when ask for a copy but their own agenda of DEI and wokeness. Most kids that reach high school drop out and move to a different school. Talked to many parents who took their kids out after middle school. The school is over crowded. They should be having no more than 16 kids per classroom and they have up to 21.

My boys have gone to school here since the beginning (before they were in this location)…read more I absolutely love the setup and the attention my boys get. They've been able to excel and had more 1-on-1 help. Class sizes are smaller than regular public school classes. They definitely care about the kids. They want all the kids to succeed and push them to their academic limits. They have helped my guys get to where they are now and have been absolutely wonderful. If you are looking for a more private school setting (ie: uniforms, smaller class sizes, more academic push) check out this school.. (Or the others in the district if you live farther away.. - "Priority Charter Schools" is the name of the school system). Thanks CPCA!

My kids go to this school. I enjoy having my 4th and 8th grader in one school. The teachers are…read morehard working and dedicated, I see a real interest in the child as a whole. There has been changes but I can see they have a clear vision for where the school is going. It's been great getting to know everyone here, I volunteer at least one day a week and my husband's helping set up Watch DOGS we are certain that this is a great place for my children to learn and grow. The size of the school is wonderful, small one on one environment lends itself to close attention and real caring.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but unfortunately my experience here has been extremely…read moredisappointing. In the beginning, everything seemed wonderful, but over time serious concerns became impossible to ignore. First, tuition and fees continued to increase, yet there was very little transparency regarding where the additional money was going. Competition fees in particular did not match the written amounts provided by the competitions themselves. For my daughter's solo entry alone, I discovered we were charged over $200 more than the actual competition fee. Costume costs were also excessive, especially when many items appeared to come from inexpensive online retailers while parents were charged significantly higher prices. Another major concern was the lack of accountability and communication. Concerns brought up by parents were often dismissed, and at times families were made to feel unreasonable for asking legitimate questions. Communication was inconsistent, with frequent changes to contact information and difficulty receiving clear responses. Most importantly, I was deeply troubled by the treatment of children. No child should leave practice feeling humiliated or emotionally distressed. My 6-year-old daughter came home crying on multiple occasions, and other parents shared that their children witnessed staff yelling harshly at her. It was heartbreaking to watch her confidence diminish over time. After two years, she became so emotionally overwhelmed that she begged me in tears not to make her audition again. There were also issues involving choreography changes being made without proper permission or communication, despite claims otherwise. Additionally, while it was stated that extra time and effort were being "donated" for soloists, many of those lessons were still conducted in shared private sessions despite being included in our regular tuition. I was genuinely excited for Taylor to have a dance studio for local children, which makes this experience even more disappointing. Every child deserves a positive, supportive, and encouraging environment where they can grow both as dancers and as individuals. Unfortunately, that was not our experience here. I would strongly encourage parents of young dancers to carefully consider all options before enrolling.

I love Arise Dance Academy! Coach J is so kind yet disciplined and experienced. She offers so many…read moreincredible styles of dance as well as tutoring. Boys and girls attend and the growth my son has had in a few short months is remarkable.

Our 10mo old has been attending Stepping Stone Round Rock for over 3 months now. We truly love and…read moreappreciate Ms. Marni and Ms. Ashley in the Lullabies room. They're amazing and true professionals at what they do for our daughter on a daily basis. Our daughter loves going to school to read books, make art, and play with the others in her class! She received a "Curiosity" Award recently, and we love that her teachers embrace all of her curiosity and creativity at just 10 months. We love receiving daily updates and watching her thrive at Stepping Stone! Highly recommend!

Our toddler was not provided support across 3 weeks of coming in as a new child in a toddler class…read more The teacher Ms. Marissa was deeply disengaged and used to address this 4 year olds classroom As a 10th grade class mostly sitting at one spot. Our child also had no reports provided for any incidents and for three consecutive days the work sent from school was a scribbled boat/heart etc. which talks about a phenomenon of checkbox teaching. Our child otherwise can trace all letters of the alphabet - use scissors - paint and talk fluently. In these three weeks we saw a clear regression. Management is somehow not concerned about this kind of classroom mismanagement - In fact we were told that the teacher is extremely good and provided all praise in the orientation. The motto of play to learn is used more for marketing and less for real learning. If you are looking for purely childcare and your child is happy with the play with no kids pushing them around(which was communicated to us by our child multiple time and we asked for any incidents - zero reports - only response we got was "he was good"), you can go here. If you want proper child education with empathy - last place to go if you have a 4 year old toddler. Our little one who is 1.5 had an amazing time and that classroom was actually doing and effective job so I would conclude by saying that the management and the specific teacher is our primary concern. After we complained to the district head - suddenly our child was promoted to ms.Terry's class and started getting all the things promised in the previous class and the tone of management completely changed. Avoid if possible. Don't recommend.

We've been part of Sapientia Montessori for several years now. One of our kids went through the…read moreentire elementary program, and the other has been here since preschool and is currently in elementary--and I genuinely couldn't be more grateful for the experience. What makes this school stand out is the personal care and attention every child receives. It's not just about academics (which are strong), but about helping kids grow into confident, kind, and thoughtful individuals. At the center of it all is Ms. Kalika, the principal. She doesn't just lead--she sets the culture of the school in a very real and hands-on way. Her presence, values, and commitment to each child show up in everything the school does. One of the things we've especially appreciated is their participation in the Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) program. It gives kids a unique level of exposure and global perspective at such a young age--something we found incredibly valuable and rare. Sapientia has played a big role in shaping our kids--not just academically, but in who they're becoming as people. If you're looking for a school where your child will be truly seen, challenged, and supported every step of the way, I'd highly recommend Sapientia Montessori.

We learned of Sapientia while waiting to move off the waiting list from a Montessori school in…read moreAustin. We wanted a solution for childcare for our toddler twins at that point, and we'd observed some of our friends' children exit their early years in Montessori with the calm confidence we wanted for our kiddos. At Sapienta, our girls were welcomed with kind hearts. The guides (teachers) provided the resources to not only build a foundation for learning but a love for it as well. This fostered our girls' ability to read by age four. Their enjoyment of books grew exponentially over the next 10+ years, helping place them in the gifted program. Their achievements weren't limited to language arts. They excelled in every subject as they transferred to public education for middle school. The nine years they spent at Sapientia Montessori--three of them with the school director as lead teacher in the elementary class--gave them a springboard into academic achievement. Today, that investment in their Montessori education has resulted in grades, test scores, and critical thinking that are getting them accepted into the country's top engineering and aeronautical programs. We eventually made it off the wait list for that Austin school, but we chose to stay at Sapientia for the community and dedication to a child-centered approach to learning. If we had it to do again, we wouldn't change a thing.

I've been waiting to write my review for Nunan's because I wasn't sure if my experience is…read moreemblematic and therefore applicable but I'm going to write it anyway. I'm not one of their traditional students but I found that they had a small judo program there and was interested in that. I couldn't find much more information on it so I called and left a message. Master Nunan called me back and asked why I was interested in judo; the club isn't competition oriented but a way for folks to still practice without a lot of the high-impact. Since I was looking for a supplement to other stuff it was a good fit. I was welcomed right away and allowed to practice for months, MONTHS without paying a single dime. I gained a lot of confidence with my throws and it wasn't until my first belt promotion that I started paying dues so that I could be officially recognized. The he majority of students here practice Tang Soo Do so the judo contingent is smaller and tight knit. I definitely enjoy seeing the same faces week in, week out. We even have annual Christmas gathering just to sit and chat off the mats. When I've had to stop practicing due to health reasons, pausing was simple and was told even though I won't be able to practice I can come in an observe anytime. Truly one of my highlights since moving to Austin.

I have been a student of Master Nunan for many years, and while I am currently not training due to…read morework/life balancing, I can whole-heartedly recommend NMA as a premier Martial Arts Studio in the North Austin area. Not only is Master Nunan a very accomplished martial artist in multiple disciplines, he's also a genuinely good person. I see it in his teachings, his philosophies, how he treats his family and friends, and most importantly, how he runs his life. He is patient and kind, and it shows in the talent he has surrounded himself with for instruction and follow up. He has students whom have studied with him for 20+ years, working their way up in ranks and taking on additional responsibilities in the studio. If you are looking for a place to study martial arts, I can whole-heartedly recommend NMA.