Location: Northwest Austin
13915 US-183
Austin, TX 78717
Students served: Grades 5-8
Current enrollment: 3; rolling admissions
Model/philosophy: NextGen Academy is a mastery-based school for grades 5–8, integrating AI-powered academic learning with cutting-edge life skills development. Students master core subjects in just 2 hours each morning, giving them afternoons to immerse in hands-on workshops fueled by the latest technology in an immersive, high-tech environment that inspires creativity. With an additional 4 hours each day, students dive into AI, public speaking, entrepreneurship, game development, and creative problem-solving, while engaging with top-tier tech tools that make learning exciting and dynamic. Mentored by industry experts, NextGen Academy keeps students excited about school while equipping them with the skills to thrive in high school and beyond.
Special features: Students are motivated by their expert Guides, who help students find their passion through utilizing cutting-edge technology, including a state-of-the-art competition arena, VR headsets, high-powered Alienware PCs, and a professional podcasting and shoutcasting studio.
Schedule: 8:15am–4pm, Monday–Friday; August 14, 2024–June 6, 2025
Tuition: $25,000 annually. All supplies and workshops are included.
Contact: Beau Sydes, Head of School | 512-222-4065 | austin.admisisons@nextgenacademy.school
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.
