Our family loves St. Francis School (SFS, a pre-K through 8th-grade private nonprofit…read moreinterdenominational school operating for 30+ years near the ACC Highland campus in north-central Austin). After a mixed but ultimately disappointing experience in 1st - 3rd grades at a crowded, overpriced, chaotic start-up foreign language immersion school, our family needed a fresh start. Our once confident and joyful learner of a child had been reduced to an overstressed student who loathed school and struggled through hours of tedious homework each night. St. Francis provided the small, truly diverse and welcoming community environment we wanted for our child, with a balance of challenging academics, ethics reinforcement, and attention to the nurturing & development of the whole child by experienced educators who really know how to differentiate instruction to many types of learners. This approach has totally turned around our child's experience of school and his learning & achievement have skyrocketed over the past 2 years. His school grades are now more in line with his always high standardized testing results, and homework no longer comes to tears! Another parent reviewer said it well when she described the diverse and "unpretentious atmosphere" at SFS. Every imaginable demographic is represented in both the student body and faculty. People are kind and friendly and welcoming, and individual differences are celebrated. Every time I'm on campus, I just feel inspired and hopeful. Because SFS keeps class size (max of 15) and total enrollment (around 400) in check and teachers love the place so much they stay for decades, the small, cohesive "neighborhood school" feel is maintained. Huge props go to the incomparable founding head of school, Barbara Porter, who has since 1985 guided SFS on its core mission of "excellence without exclusivity." SFS backs that sentiment up by supporting 25% of the student body with scholarships and charging one of the lowest private school tuition rates in the Austin area, while consistently graduating their students into the most competitive public school magnet programs and private high schools. Another wonderfully unique feature among area private schools is the SFS Learning Center, where students with special needs can receive tutoring and additional services to support their success in school. Kids with learning differences are fully integrated into SFS classrooms and are able to thrive as part of a truly diverse school community. At the same time, a large proportion of the student body would be described as "gifted & talented," demonstrating highest performance in academics, the arts, and sports. Each Friday morning, an optional hour of "chapel" is held in which the entire student body and faculty, as well as any parents & family members who wish to attend, gather together in the gym to share an uplifting community-building and/or character-building assembly or pep rally to celebrate that month's achievements. It's not actually religious (although some religious content is shared from time-to-time; the school is named for St. Francis of Assisi, after all). The 8th-grade year culminates in a transformative Spring Break trip to Italy to visit the hometown of St. Francis (among other sites), and the kids raise all of the money for the trip themselves over the course of their years at SFS. I could say much more about all the reasons we love SFS, but if you are considering private school or are just looking for a better school for your unique learner, I encourage you to take a tour and see for yourself. Curriculum and other details are available on the school website at http://www.stfrancis-school.org.

Well run institution with a great culture…read more Pro: - Long Term: with over 35 years in operation, they've had time to build a strong program that will last through economic downturns. - Culture: teachers, students and parents are fully bought-in to the schools values (see school site for details). - Student attention: lower than average student/teacher ratios plus a dedicated, free-standing tutoring building adjacent to the school. Con: - Playground: nice but not inline with the quality of the rest of the institution. - Admissions: it's a centrally located, high quality private school in a growing city, meaning demand is high Personal lessons from our school search: After spending 12 months searching for the 'best school', we realized the importance of finding the 'best school for our child'. Initially, I was too tied up in rankings to spend the time to understand what was important for our family and how that lined up with each program. In the end, we loved the goals at St. Francis of (1) excellence without exclusivity, (2) a meaningful commitment to diversity and (3) attention to the needs of every student. Covid-19 update: School is really stepping up to deliver for students in a difficult time. The teachers are really going above-and-beyond.

We've been more than thrilled to have found this Family Learning Center! The staff is excellent! Ms…read moreAmelia stays on top of everything and runs a great operation. Ms Natasha knows all the kids names and welcomes you with a bright smile every mornin... Ms Yuliana and Ms Maritza are just the sweetest and always remind that my little sunshine will be cared for and looked after with the most care... I'm at peace with this institution... Can't recommend them enough...

We had a mixed experience with PromiseLand. We had our daughter there in the infant room from the…read moretime she was about five months old. The teachers were loving and I generally felt like she was in good hands. From our perspective, it didn't seem like a ton of enrichment/learning activity was happening-- but we figured maybe that was because she was so young, and those activities don't happen until the babies are a little older. It was only after we switched daycares that we realized that other places pay close attention to enrichment/learning from the time babies are old enough to be in daycare in the first place. Another thing: when she was six months old, our daughter contracted RSV (scary respiratory virus) and had to be hospitalized for four days. When her hospital stay was over, we (by happenstance) found out that one of her classmates had also been hospitalized for RSV shortly before our daughter had. We were pretty dismayed that we hadn't been given a heads-up about a contagious illness in the classroom as a matter of policy. If we had, we might have been able to avoid sending our child to daycare that week and potentially avoided the hospital stay. It could be that the PromiseLand policy of notifying parents of illnesses has changed since then. But from our perspective, communication was not very strong and enrichment in general was pretty limited.

My child was enrolled at Primrose Mueller for nearly 2.5 years. Under their first director, it was…read morean excellent school -- one we were proud to recommend. That changed about 18 months ago when they hired a new director. Since then, the school has lost 47 teachers in calendar year 2025 alone, and roughly the same number in the 7 months prior -- driven largely by her combative management style. You can verify their turnover history yourself at the Texas Health and Human Services website, particularly how it compares to COVID-era staffing. The instability has real consequences for children. I've personally walked into classrooms four separate times with ratios dramatically out of compliance -- one teacher to 20 kids. More seriously, a child was lost during a school event. These aren't minor complaints. The franchise owner, Christy Black, is largely inaccessible to parents raising concerns. She also owns the Easton Park location, which has faced similar -- if not worse -- issues, including an incident that resulted in a child being hospitalized. If you're evaluating childcare options, I can't recommend Primrose Mueller under its current leadership. Christy, you know what the problem is, and you know how to fix it. I hope you do, for the safety of every child in your care.

Our children love Primrose! Every teacher we have had there has been so incredible. We love Ms…read more Jasmine, Ms. Giselle, Ms. Barbara, Ms. Alex, Ms. Alasia, Ms. Luna and all the other infant teachers at the school! It is such a relief having a place that we know they are happy and well taken care of. We get updates through an app on how their day is going and I am always impressed with the variety of activities our children participate in throughout the day. They are truly learning so much when they are there. Another huge thing is that the facilities at the Mueller location are so nice and well taken care of. I think communication could be better especially for new parents on their first day - as a new mom I was nervous and wanted to know more about logistics on the first day, but since then we have settled in nicely. There also has been some minor confusion on protocols for medication administration that has caused a bit of an inconvenience. Overall though we are having a great experience and would recommend Primrose to other families that are looking.

Terrible school, fails to prepare students for life after high school. While some may say that they…read moremoved to Hyde Park to avoid vaping and smoking, Hyde Park has a huge vaping problem and the staff continues to look the other way.

I attended this school some years ago, and it was, and still is, a joke. Will you get a better…read moreeducation here than in public schools? Maybe in regards to math. But will your child leave here better off and prepared for the life ahead of them? No chance. The school is a sheltered island that practices borderline cult-esque ideals of religion and tries to indoctrinate students with a perspective of 'how the world should be' but completely fails to prepare them for how the world actually is. For all the heavily religious people out there, consider this. Roughly half of the students I know who attended Hyde Park no longer believe in God and directly point to this school as one of the primary reasons. I've never been religious but if I was that would be a horrifying statistic to me. And for those who are not religious, this isn't because the school promotes open minded thinking but rather is so far down the evangelical black hole that it ruins religion for most. Oh and if you actually care about the education aspect (which most parents at this school do not and are primarily focused on religion), check where their graduates go to college. The majority of them go to small, relatively obscure colleges because the school is not focused on education, but primarily religion. Students who attend a private school and pay for an elite education should not be struggling to get into Texas A&M if they're just outside of the automatic admit percentile. Yikes. Glad I graduated from a different school.

Both my children have attended First English CDC and we absolutely love it. My child asked me…read moreyesterday if the school week could be 10 days long instead of 5, I think that sums it up nicely! We love the small school feel of it, with community and teachers who know the children well. The school is an establishment in the community, and I meet many people with grown kids who attended there. My kids love the shady playground, and my older kid who is no longer there still maintains that it has the best swings in Austin. There is also a nice open indoor hall for rainy or hot days, as well as activities like Soccer Shots they offer. There is a healthy breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack cooked each day by the school chef. The school is play based and focused on learning through play, which I think is perfect for this age. Thank you First English.

Both our children have attended First English since they were 18 months old (they're now 3.5y and…read more5y) and we couldn't be happier. The staff provides a caring, safe, supportive and educational environment for the children, with a bonus of prioritizing social-emotional learning and Montessori-esque methods. Our kids have been excited to go to school every day (huge win) and I'm so grateful not to have to pack a breakfast, lunch or snack because it's all offered by the school (and included in the tuition!). Highly recommend.

Not that I'm some sort of God-squad...but…read more... This Episcopal Church on the east side is apparently well known on both coasts in church-going circles, and once I experienced it on a tip from a respected Episcopalian, the clouds parted, the birds fell silent.... (sorry) Starting back in the 40s as a predominately African-American church, St. James has held onto their history by using both the traditional hymnal and African-American songbook, keeping a long relationship with Huston-Tillotson College, and keeping their outreach well connected to the black community. They're as inclusive as a church could be, and when I got to a point where I thought I could never go to a church again, I emailed the rector with every problem (and then some) I had with our country's current religious temperature, hypocrisies of self-professed Christians and religious leaders, stories of my sordid past that I feel fine about, etc., etc. His response? "Welcome Home." The congregation has remained both diverse and enlightened, and with the celebrated leadership of the church and school (K-8) staff, the church's annual jazz festival and fund-raisers, (one with Maya Angelou attached) it's expanding to a larger location. For anyone looking for an Episcopal Church, or curious after a childhood of religious brainwashing, a service here is quite an experience. I've been previously programmed to let my mind wander during sermons, yet rector Greg Rickel has an innate ability to cut to the truth and engage the congregation. Had no idea a church leader could do this without posturing or sounding corny or obnoxious or proud, but again and again, he delivers. The guest speakers have all also been excellent and aren't afraid to infuse humor at all times. Getting here on Sunday is not a chore. The church also has a committed dedication to service. When Katrina hit and New Orleans residents were being brought to Austin, almost the entire service revolved around the best ways to be efficient in getting the displaced NOLA citizens taken care of, how to avoid getting in the way, and where help was needed most. And the congregation was energized and tireless in the challenge. They also have ongoing fund drives for cities and hospitals in need from around the world, from towns hit hard by the drought in the south to a hospital on the Gaza Strip. As Greg's been on a few short lists for new bishops in states far from Texas, it's a good thing to witness him before he gets snatched up by the big guys. Am not a self-identified Christian by any means, and this church blew me away.

The new location is 1941 Webberville Road Austin, Texas 78721…read more When I stepped in the door in between services (they have four different ones), I was greeted first by a Caucasian lady in her late 60s/early 70s, named "JO" as her name-tag identified her and a Hispanic man with green eyes holding a guitar. Both were very friendly and informative. I returned later that night to visit the 6:00 service. The service allowed me to enter into an experience of connecting and worshiping God in a refreshing way. I think they call this service "contemporary". It is not the kind of contemporary like lots of acoustic guitar....but more like jazzy, bluesy, soulful contemporary. There was a lot of song, scripture, and and an opportunity for communion. It was MLK day, and the sermon leaned heavily on his writings. The church is very ethnically diverse, it seems that most are well-educated and very much outwardly focused. When I returned the following week with a neighbor to the 10:15 service, we were again treated with welcome as one member told another to escort us in..then that lady sat with us during the service - but not in creepy way...just as in a good hostess kind of way. They have a 1:00 Spanish Service and and 8am Contemplative Service. The only thing that is tricky is that you feel a little lost at times keeping up with the page turning and readings. They have several books that they use (hymnals, book of prayer) plus the weekly pamplet....it was just a lots to stay on top of. I don't know if it will be a great place for friends that may not be great readers. (not sure yet)

Our little one is wrapping up her time at NWM, and we're going to miss this community so much. It…read morehas been such a sweet little haven for her - a place where she's built so much confidence, learned and grown tremendously, made wonderful friends, and truly become ready for kindergarten. We've had experience with two other Montessori schools in both South and North Austin, and NWM was by far our favorite. The teachers and community have made her time here incredibly special, and we're so grateful for the care they've given her. We would wholeheartedly recommend NWM to any family looking for a warm, nurturing, and enriching preschool/Pre-K experience in the area.

Both of our kids have gone to NWM and have absolutely thrived! The program somehow manages to be…read moreplay-based while still being very academic. Both kids graduated able to read and write well beyond grade level, add and subtract small numbers, and count to 1000. They've been over prepared for Kindergarten. The staff is lovely, kind, and enthusiastic. They do lots of hands-on crafts and STEM activities that the kids come home talking about. They also do occasional theme weeks/days like bubble units or bring your pet to school day which the kids look forward to. It's a wonderful school and we couldn't be happier with our experience.