Location: Dripping Springs (Southwest of Austin)
200 S. Canyonwood Dr.
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Students served: 8th–12th grades
Current enrollment: 15 students currently; max student:teacher ratio 10:1
Model/philosophy: The Cooperative offers consent-based education for the development of critical thinking skills, creativity, and compassion. Serving grades 8–12, the school welcomes and celebrates all individuals including, but not limited to, LGBTQIA+.
Special features: The Hedge School Coop holds seminar-style classes in which all grade levels learn together, with and from their teacher and each other. The school strives to build not just a center for learning but also a community of learners.
Schedule: Monday–Thursday 10am–3pm; 2-day and 4-day tracks available. Annual calendar similar to AISD.
Tuition: Enrollment fee, $300; 2-day tuition, monthly $600; 4-day tuition, monthly $900.
Contact: Dr. Erin Flynn | 512-710-0328 | hedgeschoolcoop@gmail.com
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.
