This fall, Alpha School will open GT School for Gifted and Talented in Georgetown, Esports Academy in Northwest Austin, and Lake Travis Sports Academy in the Hudson Bend area.
The private school aims to expedite students’ learning process and academic growth using artificial intelligence, co-founder MacKenzie Price said.
The setup
Alpha School was founded in 2014 to provide students with personalized, accelerated instruction and opportunities to build life skills beyond the classroom, Price said. The private school has an existing K-8 academy and a high school in Austin, and campuses in Brownsville and Miami.
Students complete their academic coursework in two hours each day through the school’s 2hr Learning program. The AI platform tutors students at their own pace, allowing them to work twice as fast as they would at traditional schools, Price said.
Classrooms are overseen by guides instead of teachers who offer motivational and emotional support to students as they work on assignments, she said.
“Each and every child is able to learn so much better and more efficiently when they receive one-to-one personalized education that goes exactly at their pace and at their appropriate level,” Price said.
Students spend the remainder of their school day developing life skills, such as entrepreneurship, leadership, public speaking and financial literacy, she said. At the new Alpha School academies, students can grow specific interest areas, including video games, advanced academics and sports.
The specifics
The following schools will open in the Austin area this fall:
Esports Academy
- Specialty: gaming and esports
- Grades: 5-8
- Expected enrollment: 60 students
- Tuition: $25,000 per year
- Address: 13915 Research Blvd., Austin
- Specialty: academically rigorous workshops
- Grades: K-8
- Expected enrollment: 150 students
- Tuition: $25,000 per year
- Address: 2351 Westinghouse Road, Georgetown
- Specialty: athletics, physical education and sports
- Grades: K-8
- Expected enrollment: 150 students
- Tuition: $25,000 per year
- Address: 4402 Hudson Bend Road, Austin
“Austin is becoming the Silicon Valley of education,” Price said. “There are so many incredible options in the area and 2hr Learning is really going to put Austin on the map in terms of education, innovation and real results that are going to totally change the landscape of what's possible with K-12 education.”
Learn more
The three new academies are accepting online applications for the 2024-25 school year, Price said. The schools are ideal for coachable students who are interested in developing life skills and advancing their academics, she said.
Alpha School is looking to open a charter school in 2026, Price said.
