Long lasting friendships, beautiful campus, wonderful town, competitive environment. All schools…read morewith their faculty, staff, administrators and students, have their pluses and minuses for a myriad of reasons. This old school has more pluses than most.

Very big Campus and my daughter came here for their summer school. She's very excited and the…read moreregistration process was well organized.

Howe-Manning school is a very awesome school district they are very nice to the students and the…read morestudents love the teachers

I am a recent alumnus of Austin Prep, and I will start with the good - the academics are rigorous…read moreand most teachers are passionate and knowledgeable. I came out well-prepared for college and value my education there highly. However, in recent years, there have been many problems with the way the school is run. With the change of administration, the school went from the feeling of "tight-knit, humble private school" to pure business. It is abundantly clear that the school's model has devolved into putting up enough show to get parents to enroll their child, and have enough interest that they can admit more students whenever the glamor wears off on the old parents and they pull their children. The new headmaster has even said before in addresses, "We turned away many students this year, so you should all feel lucky that you're even here right now," in a way that almost sounded like a threat. This vibe permeates the way the school carries itself and treats its student body. From the technology to the dress code to the curriculum, everything is now optimized for them so that they get a kickback on sales, at the inconvenience of the families. Unnecessary changes are made to the schedules and structures of the school based on the image of the school, not the opinions of the families - which are often opposed. Perhaps the scariest change developing in the school is how hateful the atmosphere is becoming. From promoting an anti-LGBT hate group, to utilizing a book that encourages conversion therapy, to turning a blind eye to students harrassing international students based on race, the school is becoming valueless and made me feel unsafe by the end of my career there. The academics are stellar, but you can find a school without these problems. Do not enroll here, please.

My child spent 3 years at Austin Preparatory School (AP) before I decided to withdraw. I am writing…read morethis review in hopes to save someone (or many of you) time and money based on what I encountered at AP. I made a request to withdraw and receive a tuition refund in early July. It was denied due to the timeframe, per contract withdrawal​ must be before April 30th. Unfortunately,​​ events leading to my decision did not occur prior to April, too bad for me I guess. Even though we had spent 3 years at AP, the Headmaster was not interested in refunding any money to me. I had multiple conversations with him, explaining our reasons and issues, he pretty much brushed us off stating it was "too late," noting​ we had to "fulfill our financial obligation". He even said to me that if he refunded everyone that changed their​ mind, he would be opening pandora's box. Apparently many people change their mind about attending this school over the summer, I believe he referred to it as "summer meltdown". My thought was if this many people change their mind, he has a much bigger​ problem on his hands that he isn't addressing. The school Headmaster preaches "community" but does not practice it when push comes​ to shove. The school is a business to him. I understand the business side but even in the strongest of businesses contracts are altered and renegotiated every day. One would think he would be willing to work with a "community member" that had a 3-year​ investment in the school​. I even offered to give up the seat I had reserved and accept a partial refund when the seat was filled by another student, he would have no part in this discussion. Unfortunately​,​ he is judge and jury at AP, not even a Board to answer to as he noted, they send the "issue" back to him to resolve. During the 3 years​ spent at AP I started to notice a pattern. Many kids that I met that went there were bullied in their prior school. I didn't think much of​ it at the time​ but did start asking more and more kids why they were going to that school. Low and behold, kept getting the same answer, bullied at prior school. One may think that this is good, this school "protects" them, not the case. Some of these kids actually became the bullies​. Guess they had first​-hand experience on how to do it. I also notice that MANY kids that attend have parents that teach at the school. Turns out a benefit to teachers is their kids go to school for free. The school has tuition increases EVERY year, without fail. Typically an increase of about $2000.00... setting the current tuition at $21,900.00! Quite the price for high school or middle school.... and remember, teachers kids go for free. This past summer the school did a multi-million​ dollar kitchen/cafeteria/foyer renovation. The tuition increase was $1900.00. This was to cover the cost of lunches for kids, regardless of whether​ or not your kids eat ​lunch, you pay the increase. I wonder if the teachers paid the $1900.00 or are the "paying population" feeding their kids too? The school definitely has some issues including vaping and bullying (even though there is a "no tolerance" policy) Don't think you are going to avoid these issues by leaving the public schools. In my opinion,​ the public schools have a better handle on how to deal with​ this, probably because they acknowledge it is happening. I find the headmaster of the school "talks the talk" to parents, but doesn't deliver. Personally,​ I also find him to be quite arrogant. He often notes similar types of stories in his email updates, something​ about how a parent tells him that their child received an amazing education at AP and now is going to college for less than they paid to go to school at AP due to scholarships (obviously​ they were not a teacher at AP). Watch for yourself and see. To summarize, high-cost​ middle/high school education (almost the cost of a college) without a high-end​ reputation. If you really want a private school do your homework, you can get what AP offers for half the price and hopefully​ find a Headmaster with a conscience.

Plumfield Academy is everything we hoped for in a school - small classes that can meet our children…read moreexactly where they are academically, interaction with children of varying ages, and the kind of emotional support only a small school can provide. The staff at Plumfield truly sees the children and encourages and supports each one of its students' strengths and interests. They make learning fun while allowing ample time for socialization and outdoor play. Plumfield is a special place - whether your child is quiet or loud, sensitive or bold, artistic or sporty, there is a spot for everyone. The teachers are invested and I drop my children off every day knowing they are well cared for, safe, and supported. Plumfield allows its children to be who they truly are, supporting them wholly. My sensitive son's confidence is soaring and I owe every bit of his progress to this wonderful school.

We cannot say enough good things about Plumfield Academy. When my son was not excelling at the…read morepublic middle school we started searching for a school we could transfer him to that offered him a safe space to learn and be himself. I literally saw a sign, a lawn sign, and as soon as I pulled up the website I knew this was the answer. We went in for a day to check it out and participated in a class that asked us to write down emotions that were putting holes in our buckets. We then went outside and burned them in a fire pit. This was exactly the type of place I wanted my son to be. My son was stressed out about the grades and tests and homework at his public school. We loved that Plumfield doesn't "test" their knowledge but rather has them do narration for what they are learning, really thinking about and writing down or speaking what they've learned. Our son works through his math book at his own pace. Beyond the general academics Plumfield teaches scripture while allowing the children to share and have their own beliefs. I love that they do nature study, logic, and the arts (drama, music, acting, etc). And my son is currently working through 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens which he has very much enjoyed. We love the "nontraditional" approach offering our child broader, life oriented lessons. The teachers have all been wonderful and supportive. The director John is an honest, wonderful man who has developed a loving relationship with my son helping him through struggles in his life. Our son says Plumfield feels like a family. We feel incredibly grateful that we were able to find this gem of a school for our son to finish out his middle school years. He is working with Plumfield to apply to St John's Prep for high school and we truly believe Plumfield has offered him the best preparation for his high school career.