Location: Multiple
Early Childhood Campus, South Austin
6305 Menchaca Rd.
Austin, TX 78745
Elementary Campus, Southwest Austin
9607 Brodie Ln.
Austin, TX 78748
Middle and High School Campus, Downtown
807 Rio Grande
Austin, TX 78701
Students served: Age 18 months through 12th grade
Current enrollment: 525 (Early Childhood: 113; Elementary: 191; Middle School: 114; High School: 107)
Model/philosophy: Headwaters School is an independent school in Austin, Texas, serving students from early childhood through grade 12. At Headwaters, they believe in the power of young people to solve challenges great and small. That’s why they’ve built a culture around student-led exploration and creativity. The school's approach to excellence is defined by challenge and growth--because they know when students are propelled by curiosity and grounded in empathy, they are ready for any opportunity life brings their way. Founded in 2001, the school begins with a Montessori foundation and progresses to the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme. The school invites its students, guides, staff, parents, and trustees to be Peacemakers, Advocates, Creators, and Thinkers.
Special features: The Montessori curriculum in the Early Childhood and Elementary programs empowers students to explore their individual curiosity, grow in kindness, and learn self-advocacy in a caring, supportive environment. In middle school, Headwaters students learn who they are, who they want to become, and what impact they want to have on the world. The downtown location for the middle and high school gives students real-world practice in developing executive function skills and navigating the world beyond the campus. In high school, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme features depth over breadth and a mastery of writing across the curriculum. Headwaters offers a highly personalized college counseling experience.
Schedule: Headwaters follows a semester structure, with school typically beginning in late August and continuing through late May. Students attend school five days a week. On the Early Childhood campus, families can choose a half-day program or a full-day program. The school offers summer programming on all three campuses. The most up-to-date school calendar can be found here.
Tuition: Early Childhood tuition ranges from $15,700 to $16,600; Elementary tuition ranges from $16,900 to $17,300; Middle School tuition is $20,800; High School tuition is $22,900.
Contact: Amy Nylund, Director of Early Childhood & Elementary Admissions / Krista Phillips, Director of Middle & High School Admissions | 512-623-5406 | admissions@headwaters.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.
