My first grader transferred to BASIS Austin Primary this past January and we absolutely love it. BASIS has an advanced curriculum and a faster pace than most other schools. I would recommend BASIS to anyone with children that want more challenging work and have a true love of learning. At my daughters previous school, we were frustrated with the level of work that had been coming home. She's a bit advanced. She MAP tested in 90th and 95th percentiles. Our daughter was stagnating, as first grade classes were taught as a whole and the level taught was much lower than her capabilities. In speaking with her about her days, it turned out that she was spending much of her day coloring or reading, to fill in the time after she had completed her work, but the majority of the class had not. As an example, she was bringing home CVC word worksheets when she could read words like princess and bubble. She was consistently complaining of boredom. After countless requests for more challenging material for her and not feeling like they were helping her to reach her full potential, we decided to transfer her to BASIS. Ultimately, it was the absolute best decision and we just wish that we had made it sooner. Looking back, we can't believe that we ever even questioned switching her. After the first week, my daughter told me "mom, my last school was fun, but I know what was missing: the school part! I'm learning so much more at BASIS!" Don't get me wrong, BASIS won't be a great fit for every kid. It's challenging. My daughter has even failed a couple of quizzes here, but she has still maintained a 94% average last grading period. She thrives in this type of environment. To give an idea of the level of work for first grade, there's generally weekly graded spelling quizzes and literacy assessments, math assessments every 2-3 weeks, Mandarin quizzes every few weeks, various projects or presentations throughout the year and even an in class research paper (nothing too in depth, but still impressive for first grade). She has done solo presentations in front of her classmates a couple of times as well. For "Teach the Teachers" the kids pick a topic and teach it to both their teachers and classmates. This was a timed 5 minute minimum, 15 minute maximum presentation. My child loves to present. I love that she is not afraid to get up and speak to a room of 30+ people. BASIS starts them presenting early and it seems to work well, at least for my kiddo. There is almost always homework too. If your child is highly motivated to succeed and would enjoy a more challenging curriculum, BASIS is a fantastic choice. Also noteable: There is no cafeteria or regular hot lunch here, nor is there a bus service. This could always change in the future, but currently there is neither. Keep in mind, if they do add them, they will be fee based, as this is a charter. The only way bussing and/or hot lunch gets added is if the parents pay and arrange it. There is occasional pizza Fridays. These are supported through the parents volunteering. It's basically local pizza brought in and served for ~$6 per child. The school gets less funding than an ISD school. Donate, if you're able. There is a high mobility rate between 8th and 12th grade. Over 50% end up leaving. I believe ~65%, but you can google this. Some leave for the typical reasons like relocation, wanting a more "normal" highschool experience (larger graduating class, prom, sports, etc) and some leave due to the challenging curriculum becoming more intense. It's something to be aware of, as not every BASIS kid will end up graduating from BASIS. More than half don't. If and when they do leave though, they will likely be very well prepared for wherever they transfer to. This particular campus will not exist next year. All BASIS Austin Primary students will attend the Kramer campus. My daughter, along with many other children, will be transferring to the brand new BASIS Pflugerville campus. There are BASIS telegram parent groups for both the Pflugerville and Austin locations. These are great resources to set up carpooling and/or connect with other BASIS parents. Feel free to reach out with questions. read more