Location: South Austin / Manchaca
13203 Gunsmith Dr.
Manchaca, TX 78652
Students served: Grades 1–8, expanding to high school as students age up
Current enrollment: 16; rolling admissions for 2024–2025, with small class sizes for personalized attention; maximum student: teacher ratio of 12:1
Model/philosophy: Austin Micro School provides a personalized, hands-on learning experience that combines the best of Montessori and modern educational methods. The mission is to nurture the development of young leaders equipped with critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills essential for the 21st century. The school emphasizes human-centered education, focusing on the holistic growth of each student, including cognitive, emotional, social, and ethical dimensions.
Special features: Small class sizes for individualized instruction; curriculum designed to foster deeper learning and leadership development; strong focus on community engagement and social responsibility; 3-acre campus with dedicated gardening and maker spaces; a vibrant, close-knit community that supports every child's unique learning journey
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:15am–3:15pm; extended day available 7:30am–5:30pm
Tuition: $18,000 per year with financial assistance available. The school does not charge any extra fees (supply fees, travel fees, etc.).
Contact: 512-200-3145 | admissions@austinmicroschool.org | http://www.austinmicroschool.org
Each listing in this alphabetical directory gives you a snapshot of a small, independent, alternative school in the Austin area.
This frequently updated list spans several pages, with navigation buttons at the bottom. Clicking on the name of a school will take you to its own website. To easily find schools by geographical area, see our Alt Ed Maps page. If you know of a school that’s missing from this directory, please drop a note here, and see Alt Ed Austin’s criteria for “alternative” and “school.” You may also be interested in our directories of other recommended schools (which are mostly larger or more specialized or religiously oriented), as well as special programs for children and adults.
Full disclosure: Alt Ed Austin founder Teri Sperry has ties with several of the schools listed on this site. Her child, now an adult, attended two of them years ago. She has friends who direct, teach at, or are otherwise involved in others. Some programs choose to advertise from time to time on Alt Ed Austin as Sponsoring Partners. She firmly believes that all of the schools featured on this site (including the ones to which she has no personal connection and those from which she receives no advertising fees) are good choices for some kids, each for different reasons.
