Location: Dripping Springs
26450 Ranch Road 12
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Students served: K–12
Current enrollment: Rolling admissions with a maximum of 85 students (elementary: 15, junior high and high school: 70)
Model/philosophy: Appamada School nurtures a reverent culture that allows students to feel safe enough to be their authentic selves. When in that vulnerable space, students can learn in a connected way that honors taking risks and pushing boundaries. Appamada is a student-centered and process-based program that focuses on creative growth rather than outcomes, fostering the nonlinear nature of learning that comes naturally to humans. From kindergarten through 12th grade, the program celebrates learning through play and collaboration over competition.
Special features: Full-time and part-time options; nurturing, compassionate environment for elementary, junior high, and high school; personalized lunch program based on dietary restrictions included with tuition; individualized curriculum made vital through relating academics to a student's personal talents and passions; 12:1 student:teacher ratio; optional college admissions test prep; use of technology; deep Socratic inquiry; holistic student evaluations; relationship-centric culture and community
Schedule: 8:45am–3:30pm Monday–Friday; mid August–late May. Please visit the school's website for details.
Tuition: Elementary (K–5th grade), full-time, $13,000 per year; part-time, $10,000 per year. Junior High & High School (6th–12th grade), full-time, $16,500 per year; part-time, $12,500 per year.
Contact: Dave Haumer, Director | 512-484-4976 | dave@appamadaschool.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 in graduate school, 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.
