My 8th grader is thriving in this nourishing, academically robust, faith-based environment where…read morestudents do come first. The exceptional quality of educators exceeds expectations and the personal responsibility my child now takes for schoolwork is a joy to witness. It's a Godsend to know exactly what my child is doing at school daily thanks to the systems and processes St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic School employs. The PTO is phenomenally engaging and the level of communication offered by the school is superb. We are quite pleased with the leadership of the school, too!

We have been at City School for three years and are overwhelmingly impressed with the loving…read moreculture and community. We are grateful for the way our child is seen and developed by her teachers, and for the friendships we have made with other City School parents. We are thankful for the way that this school has partnered with us in to surround our child with believers who are invested in her growth and flourishing

My family loves CitySchool! It's been the best support to my family this past year. This is my…read moredaughter's second year there, she attended Pre-K with Ms. Carson and Mrs. Zaunbrecher. On the last day of school last year, I lost my job and I was devastated. The first thought that crossed my mind was I wouldn't be able to send my daughter for another year because there was no way we would be able to afford tuition. And actually, we were already receiving a 50% discount. This was devastating for a plethora of reasons. One, I was desperate to have my child keep receiving a Christ centered education AND, I was so scared to lose touch with the community that we had built over the past year. So with a heavy heart I went to Karon (the Director) and Laura (Director of Community Engagemen) and told them we needed to unenroll my daughter from attending the next (THIS YEAR 24-25). The first thing they said was not, ok lets get her unenrolled but: We're so sorry this happened - do NOT unenroll her. It is more important for her to have this Christ centered education than it is for you to worry about how you will pay for it. We WILL work this out. And also, how else can we support you? They will forever have my heart for how they handled this. I also love it for the fruits I see taking root in my daughter. Conflict resolution, spiritual and emotional character development. They see the child as a whole and fully formed person and they nurture them. The community is just, beautiful and kind and loving and SAFE and everything I really wanted/needed as a child. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts! Love, The Horning Family

My child attends Magnolia Middle. This 2025-2026 school year marks Magnolia Middle's inaugural…read moreyear, but it's built on a strong foundation. Its elementary counterpart has spent over a decade proving what's possible--with an extraordinary track record of student success and a wait list of more than 500 families. There's a calm, respectful energy at Magnolia. Students are treated like capable young people. The culture emphasizes personal responsibility, collaboration, and intrinsic motivation--not just test scores. As a parent, I see my child being encouraged to think independently, communicate thoughtfully, and take ownership of their learning in ways I've rarely seen in traditional settings. The executive director of Magnolia Montessori for All and the middle school principal are exceptional--deeply committed, highly experienced, and clearly building something intentional and meaningful from the ground up. The entire staff is next level. Together, they have cultivated not just a new school; but a carefully designed community. I like the way they handle conflict, demonstrate fairness, work hard to help all kids succeed and make learning enjoyable.

We've been with the school for almost 6 years. working with the special education system at…read moreMagnolia has been really collaborative and supportive for our family, and I have never felt that I had to fight for services like I hear in other schools. One of my kids was struggling academically, but in 2nd grade he grew leaps and bounds in math and reading, from far behind the mean scores in MAP to 30 pts higher by the end of the school year. The collaboration between classroom teachers, dyslexia intervention teachers, and other support staff was so smooth. We've seen the school grow considerably in its functioning since 2021 and are really happy to be here! Also the community spirit is very strong. classes meet up for play dates outside of school to encourage friendship building, volunteer with teacher needs, organize fundraisers for special projects, and the camping trips twice a year are really special. There were ups and downs in our early years, and we are grateful we stayed through it. :)

We are currently in our 6th year at Regents, and we love it....Regents is a wonderful community and…read moreour family loves it there. The last review posted by Mark REALLY surprised me because I know families who are Catholic and who attend Regents. Also I am of Indian origin and I'm at Regents.... There could be many other reasons why somebody is not accepted at the school.

As someone who has worked in school systems for over 30 years and whose niece and nephew attend…read moreRegents, I have been impressed. I've been impressed by how down to earth everyone I have met there has been. Mostly I am impressed by how sweet and intelligent my niece and nephew are and this is the only school either of them have attended. They are both bright and funny and open minded and kind hearted. I can't imagine more lovely kids and as hugely involved as their parents are, I know from experience that the school gets some of the credit too. I'm sorry to read that the kid who commented has had such a shady experience. I would say by his writing that other than the obvious grammatical errors, he has a promising writing style! Get that while attending Regents?

Just a quick update to my previous review which is much more detailed. Our son has now been at…read moreRawson Saunders for 2 full years and absolutely loves it. He is learning so much and is very happy. He still struggles with reading, but the blessing is that his learning is not dependent upon his reading. I highly, highly recommend you visit RS if your child is dyslexic.

Fabulous school, where the children's needs come first! The teachers are dedicated to providing…read morequality education with an emphasis on community and achieving goals. Love this school!

My son thrives on the love and personal attention he's received since he started attending PK2 more…read morethan two years ago. Being the parents of an only child, my husband and I were unfamiliar with how little idiosyncrasies in his behavior were of some concern on a larger scale. We just thought his younger age was the reason. At the end of the spring semester, both his PK2 teacher and school director, Amber, brought it to our attention with the utmost respect and love. Upon returning for his PK3 year, his new teacher and Amber addressed it again with the same respect and care saying that he may benefit from further evaluation from his pediatrician. Speaking from personal experience, this was THE BIGGEST BLESSING we could have received for our child. We saw his pedi, followed up with more professionals, and he has improved drastically in less than a year and a half. We want what's best for our son, and it is so apparently clear the loving staff at this school sincerely wants what's best for him and every child there. I find the teachers very approachable, Amber is always around for a conversation with little ones and parents and her door remains open all day (unless she's in a very rare personal conference, like the ones we had about our son's social development), and they have been the best at improvising given the Covid19 quarantine. They are sending daily pre-recorded lessons from his teachers for my kiddo (can't get enough of his music class or storytime!), and they gave us the option to withdraw while still holding our place for semesters for which we've already registered. A rumored claim I'd like to clarify from a reliable authority on the issue is that teachers were given the option to stay home during the outbreak while maintaining employee status and their health insurance. Given all the options some workers face at this time, staying home unpaid, while keeping health insurance, is better than being unemployed. It reassures me that the administration's loyalty to the teaching staff is of utmost importance for the social and emotional wellbeing in the young students who rely upon that stability. I recommend this school to everyone with room in their hearts for God's message. The preschool alone lays such a balanced foundation of faith, love, and service to others. They have been a cornerstone in our son's social, emotional, physical, and faith-based development.

My son went to this school k-5th grade, I totally regret this decision the gym teacher Mrs. Redmond…read morevery poor attitude rude towards students and parents very disrespectful she likes to pick on students, teacher quality is very bad you don't get what you pay for, the school is very run down, there was a different principal there back then then there is now, a lot of issues at the place your better off at a different school like great hills or public school, if I could do it over again I wouldn't have put my son at this school!! Beware that reviews on this school deleted bad reviews because my previous one years ago they deleted they don't want peoples true experiences on here!

Our family loves St. Francis School (SFS, a pre-K through 8th-grade private nonprofit…read moreinterdenominational school operating for 30+ years near the ACC Highland campus in north-central Austin). After a mixed but ultimately disappointing experience in 1st - 3rd grades at a crowded, overpriced, chaotic start-up foreign language immersion school, our family needed a fresh start. Our once confident and joyful learner of a child had been reduced to an overstressed student who loathed school and struggled through hours of tedious homework each night. St. Francis provided the small, truly diverse and welcoming community environment we wanted for our child, with a balance of challenging academics, ethics reinforcement, and attention to the nurturing & development of the whole child by experienced educators who really know how to differentiate instruction to many types of learners. This approach has totally turned around our child's experience of school and his learning & achievement have skyrocketed over the past 2 years. His school grades are now more in line with his always high standardized testing results, and homework no longer comes to tears! Another parent reviewer said it well when she described the diverse and "unpretentious atmosphere" at SFS. Every imaginable demographic is represented in both the student body and faculty. People are kind and friendly and welcoming, and individual differences are celebrated. Every time I'm on campus, I just feel inspired and hopeful. Because SFS keeps class size (max of 15) and total enrollment (around 400) in check and teachers love the place so much they stay for decades, the small, cohesive "neighborhood school" feel is maintained. Huge props go to the incomparable founding head of school, Barbara Porter, who has since 1985 guided SFS on its core mission of "excellence without exclusivity." SFS backs that sentiment up by supporting 25% of the student body with scholarships and charging one of the lowest private school tuition rates in the Austin area, while consistently graduating their students into the most competitive public school magnet programs and private high schools. Another wonderfully unique feature among area private schools is the SFS Learning Center, where students with special needs can receive tutoring and additional services to support their success in school. Kids with learning differences are fully integrated into SFS classrooms and are able to thrive as part of a truly diverse school community. At the same time, a large proportion of the student body would be described as "gifted & talented," demonstrating highest performance in academics, the arts, and sports. Each Friday morning, an optional hour of "chapel" is held in which the entire student body and faculty, as well as any parents & family members who wish to attend, gather together in the gym to share an uplifting community-building and/or character-building assembly or pep rally to celebrate that month's achievements. It's not actually religious (although some religious content is shared from time-to-time; the school is named for St. Francis of Assisi, after all). The 8th-grade year culminates in a transformative Spring Break trip to Italy to visit the hometown of St. Francis (among other sites), and the kids raise all of the money for the trip themselves over the course of their years at SFS. I could say much more about all the reasons we love SFS, but if you are considering private school or are just looking for a better school for your unique learner, I encourage you to take a tour and see for yourself. Curriculum and other details are available on the school website at http://www.stfrancis-school.org.

Well run institution with a great culture…read more Pro: - Long Term: with over 35 years in operation, they've had time to build a strong program that will last through economic downturns. - Culture: teachers, students and parents are fully bought-in to the schools values (see school site for details). - Student attention: lower than average student/teacher ratios plus a dedicated, free-standing tutoring building adjacent to the school. Con: - Playground: nice but not inline with the quality of the rest of the institution. - Admissions: it's a centrally located, high quality private school in a growing city, meaning demand is high Personal lessons from our school search: After spending 12 months searching for the 'best school', we realized the importance of finding the 'best school for our child'. Initially, I was too tied up in rankings to spend the time to understand what was important for our family and how that lined up with each program. In the end, we loved the goals at St. Francis of (1) excellence without exclusivity, (2) a meaningful commitment to diversity and (3) attention to the needs of every student. Covid-19 update: School is really stepping up to deliver for students in a difficult time. The teachers are really going above-and-beyond.

I worked there for 13 years and only left because I got married and relocated. It is truly a…read morecommunity. My realtor was a former parent, our campus manager was our officiant. This place is a family and I miss it every day. Every child is known by everyone who works there.

The quality of the guides varieed drastically. Given the…read morecost of tuition I would expect all the to be top notch. Took my kid out of this. Public school was much better. Don't recommend sending your kids to here.