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Headwaters School

United States, Austin

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees $18,950 - 34,150
Ages 1 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 450
Type Co-educational
Opened 2001
Bus Service No
Availability Not shared by this school
Academic offering
Curriculum Montessori Curriculum, IB (MYP), IB (DP)
Taught languages Spanish, Mandarin, French
Typical class size 16
Strengths Sport, Performing Arts, Visual and Creative Arts
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Community and Service
Stages Infant/Toddler Care, Early Years, Primary School, Middle School, High School, Secondary School
Introduction

Headwaters School is a private Montessori-based day school serving ages 1 to 18 across three Austin campuses: Springs Campus at 6305 Menchaca Rd. (18 months to Pre-K), Creek Campus at 9607 Brodie Ln. (Elementary), and River Campus at 801 Rio Grande St. (Middle and High School). The Admissions mailing address is 807 Rio Grande St., Austin, TX 78701. The school offers Montessori-inspired early childhood classrooms alongside an International Baccalaureate curriculum, with the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for grades 6–10 and the Diploma Programme (DP) for 11th and 12th grades. The program emphasizes inquiry, student-led exploration, and discovery. IB Mathematics and English/Literature are taught within this framework. The Bird's Nest, Headwaters' on-site natural preserve, is used for outdoor learning; City as Classroom experiences extend learning into local contexts. Extracurriculars include athletics, Model United Nations, National Honor Society, and a broad range of arts, including theatre, film, music, studio art, and photography.

Springs Campus: 6305 Menchaca Rd., Austin, TX 78745; Creek Campus: 9607 Brodie Ln., Austin, TX 78748; River Campus: 801 Rio Grande St., Austin, TX 78701 (Admissions mailing address: 807 Rio Grande St., Austin, TX 78701)

Vibes and Culture
The school has not added this information
The Essentials

Headwaters School has 450 pupils, typical class sizes of 16, instruction in English.

Location
Headwaters operates on three Austin campuses: Springs Campus, 6305 Menchaca Rd, Austin, TX 78745; Creek Campus, 9607 Brodie Ln, Austin, TX 78748; River Campus, 801 Rio Grande St, Austin, TX 78701. The Springs Campus is in South Austin, the Creek Campus in southwest Austin, and the River Campus downtown in central Austin.

Stages
Early Childhood (18 months–6 years) at Springs Campus; Elementary (Kindergarten–5th grade) at Creek Campus; Middle School and High School (6th–12th grade) at River Campus.

Type
Private Montessori-based day school

School day structure
River Campus day runs 9:00 a.m.–4:20 p.m. on most weeks with 85-minute class periods and an A-B schedule; some weeks feature a C-Day schedule on Wednesdays. Deep Dive Wednesdays provide extended instructional time. Early Arrival programs start around 7:30–7:45 a.m., and Extended Care runs until 5:45 p.m. across campuses. Elementary and Early Childhood have structured arrival/drop-off with circle drives at each campus.
Diving Deeper
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Fees

Annual tuition at Headwaters School ranges from USD 18,950 to USD 34,150 for 2026/27.

Application / New‑student fees

- New student / enrollment fee (one-time, non-refundable at registration):
- Young Children's Community (YCC, 18 months–age 3): USD 700.
- Primary (age 3–5): USD 700.
- Elementary (K–5): USD 950.
- Middle School (6–8): USD 1,750.
- High School (9–12) / International students: USD 1,750.

Tuition — annual and installment breakdown by program (2026–27)

- Young Children's Community (YCC)
- School‑year, full‑day annual tuition: USD 19,950.
- Bi‑annual installment (2 payments): USD 9,975 per payment.
- 11‑month installment (11 payments): USD 1,813.64 per payment (rounded to cents).
- Year‑round, full‑day annual tuition: USD 25,935.
- Bi‑annual installment: USD 12,967.50 per payment.
- 11‑month installment: USD 2,357.73 per payment.

- Primary (age 3–5)
- Annual tuition (full‑day): USD 18,950.
- Bi‑annual installment: USD 9,475 per payment.
- 11‑month installment: USD 1,722.73 per payment.

- Elementary (Grades K–5)
- Annual tuition: USD 20,500.
- Bi‑annual installment: USD 10,250 per payment.
- 11‑month installment: USD 1,863.64 per payment.

- Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- Annual tuition: USD 25,750.
- Bi‑annual installment: USD 12,875 per payment.
- 11‑month installment: USD 2,340.91 per payment.
- Additional fees: IB fee for 6th grade (where applicable): USD 1,100.

- High School (Grades 9–12)
- Annual tuition: USD 27,850.
- Bi‑annual installment: USD 13,925 per payment.
- 11‑month installment: USD 2,531.82 per payment.
- Additional fees: IB fee for 11th and 12th grades (where applicable): USD 1,100.

- International students (Grades 9–12)
- Annual tuition (includes international student fee): USD 34,150 (includes USD 6,300 international student fee; this fee is not prorated).
- Bi‑annual installment: USD 17,075 per payment.
- 11‑month installment: USD 3,104.55 per payment.

Other recurring and optional fees

- Tuition insurance (optional): USD 300 per student (listed as optional).
- Extended care (mornings, starts at 7:30 a.m., and afternoons until ~5:45 p.m.):
- Mornings (YCC, Primary, Elementary) 5 days/week: USD 800.
- Mornings (YCC year‑round) 5 days/week: USD 1,040.
- Afternoons (YCC, Primary, Elementary) 5 days/week: USD 3,700.
- Afternoons (YCC year‑round) 5 days/week: USD 4,810.
- Afternoons (Middle & High School): USD 825 (2 days/week) or USD 1,910 (5 days/week).
- Shuttle (Grades 2–12): USD 1,210 per route.
- IB examination/program fees where listed: USD 1,100 for applicable grades.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Payment plan options available:
- Annual payment (single payment).
- Bi‑annual payments (two equal payments — typically due in June and November).
- 11‑month payments (11 equal payments — scheduled July through May).
- Payment date choices: families may select the 5th or the 20th of the payment month for scheduled payments. An initial/first payment is scheduled in June for the billing cycle. Tuition insurance is optional and may be added to the billed amount.
- Discounts by payment plan (applied to billed tuition):
- Annual (pay‑in‑full) discount: Early Childhood & Elementary: USD 300; Middle & High School: USD 500.
- Bi‑annual discount: Early Childhood & Elementary: USD 125; Middle & High School: USD 150.
- 11‑month plan: no discount.

Boarding

- Boarding is not applicable. Headwaters is operated as a day school; no boarding program or boarding fees are listed.

Other one‑time or incidental costs parents should expect

- New‑student/enrollment fee (amounts listed above by program).
- Optional tuition insurance (USD 300) and IB fees where applicable (USD 1,100).
- Extended care and shuttle fees as listed above.

Refunds and withdrawal

- Tuition insurance is offered as an optional fee (USD 300). Refunds and the financial consequences of withdrawal are governed by the school's enrollment contract and by any tuition insurance coverage purchased; tuition insurance may apply in withdrawal circumstances. Parents should follow the enrollment agreement for official withdrawal and refund terms.

Fee payment channels and practical notes

- Families enroll in one of the payment plans above (annual, bi‑annual, or 11‑month) and schedule payments with the school; payment date options are the 5th or 20th of the scheduled month and the billing cycle begins with a payment in June.
- Many independent‑school tuition portals support online payment methods (ACH/bank transfer and credit/debit card); schools commonly allow online portal payment and scheduled automatic payments through their tuition management system. For typical tuition‑portal payment types, see general tuition‑billing guidance.

If you need these figures in a different numeric format (for import into a database) they are given above as whole USD amounts; installment values for the bi‑annual and 11‑month plans are calculated from the stated annual tuition and rounded to two decimals where shown.
Academics

Headwaters School teaches Montessori Curriculum, IB (MYP), IB (DP) for students aged 1 to 18.

Curriculum
The Middle School follows the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for grades 6–10, and the High School offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP). Across three Austin campuses—Springs Campus (18 months to Pre-K), Creek Campus (Elementary), and River Campus (Middle & High School)—Headwaters emphasizes student-led exploration, inquiry, and discovery. The Mathematics program includes IB Mathematics: Analysis HL I & II and IB Mathematics: Applications SL I & II, along with Geometry and Introductory Statistics. The English and Language Arts program includes IB Language and Literature I & II (Year 11–12), English 9–10, and 6th–8th English. Enrichment Classes are listed as an offering to provide additional challenges within the IB framework.

Higher Education Progression
Headwaters' college counseling by the numbers shows Class of 2025 accepted to over 80 colleges and universities across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, China, and France, with more than $8 million in scholarships offered collectively.

Gifted and Talented
Enrichment Classes are listed as an offering to provide additional challenges for advanced students.
Wellbeing
The school has not added this information
Parent Experience
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Facilities
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Extra-Curricular Activities
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Languages
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Reputation
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Admissions

Admissions
1. Submit an inquiry. The first step is to submit an inquiry to begin the process. This enables scheduling a campus tour and receiving instructions to set up an account in The Nest, Headwaters' internal admissions portal. The Nest serves as the central hub for the application checklist, communications, tuition, and enrollment documents. 2. Campus Tour. Parents must attend a campus visit, through weekly tours or an Open House; middle and high school students should also participate in the campus visit before applying. 3. Submit Your Application. Complete and submit the application in The Nest, Headwaters' internal portal for admissions. 4. Prospective Student Visit and Supporting Documents. Elementary and higher grades may require supporting documents (eg, teacher evaluations, progress reports, transcripts) and will participate in a guest visit; Primary and kindergarten applicants participate in a small group guest visit after submission. 5. Parent Interview. The Admissions Director conducts a parent interview after the prospective student visit and/or submission of documents. 6. Student Essay. Middle and High School applicants submit a reflective essay, with a prompt provided during the process. 7. Decision Time. Timelines vary by program: Young Children's Community (18 months–3 years) early decision Oct 15–Dec 15; standard decision Dec 16–Feb 28; extended review begins March 1. Primary (3–5 years) beginning mid-February for offers. Elementary–High School (6–12/13–18 years) early decision Dec 1–Feb 1; standard Feb 2–Apr 2; extended review begins Apr 3. 8. Enrollment. If admitted, families complete enrollment steps in The Nest and sign contracts by the stated deadlines.

Scholarships
Headwaters Promise Scholarship: Headwaters offers a merit-based Promise Scholarship for entering High School students. The award is $5,000 and is renewable each year if the student remains in good standing. Headwaters anticipates awarding about five new Promise Scholarships each school year. To be considered, prospective students applying to high school and current eighth graders should submit a fully completed admissions application and complete a visit day on campus, then submit a one-page essay focused on how they would thrive at Headwaters. Scholarship decisions are made on a rolling basis, with awards issued alongside admission decisions. Financial Aid: A need-based financial aid program is available to families in kindergarten through 12th grade. Admissions decisions are need-blind, and any applicable financial aid information is included with the admission offer. Families apply annually through the Clarity platform; there is a required application process and supporting documentation, and returning families are typically asked to complete the financial aid process by the first week of January. New families typically receive aid decisions on a rolling basis after re-enrollment. Headwaters does not accept TEFA voucher funds for the 2026–2027 school year.
School Events
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