Admissions FAQ

Tours and Information Sessions are held on Tuesday mornings during our admissions cycle, October - April. If you would like information outside of those months, please explore our website or contact us. We are happy to answer general questions on the phone or by email.

Tours are for adults only, and both parents or guardians (as applicable) are invted to attend. Later in the admissions process, we also offer an opportunity for your family to have a private tour with our Head of School. 

Yes, we have a Waiting Pool for all programs. Submission of an application and fee are required to be added to the Waiting Pool but do not guarantee enrollment as Parkside follows a multi-step process for engaging with prospective families, and space availability varies from year to year. 

We invite you to submit an application and the $100 non-refundable fee at any time during the admissions process, and your child will then be added to the Waiting Pool. 

Our goal is to provide the most successful learning experience possible, so we look at a variety of factors to determine the best placement for each child and each classroom community. We will take your insights into consideration, however, placement in a specific classroom cannot be guaranteed.

In an effort to achieve a balanced classroom, we enroll new children based in part on the threshold requirements of space availability, age, and gender and in order of the date of application. 

After eating lunch as a community, Half-Day children (3s to young 4s) depart at 12:30 pm. Full-Day children (older 4s to 6s) stay for the afternoon and depart at 2:30pm. The additional Montessori work period is for those who have the stamina to withstand the full day at school and the practice and skills to take on more challenging “big” work. Once a child is no longer napping, and their guides have determined they would benefit from the Full-Day program, they may be invited to remain with their community for the afternoon. This transition typically occurs around 4 1/2 years, but your child's guides will be in conversation with you about the timing that best serves your child.

• Primary Half-Day (3-young 4s) - M-F, 8:30am-12:30pm
• Primary Full-Day (older 4s-6) - M-F, 8:30am-2:30pm
• Kindergarten (5-6) - M-F, 8:30am-2:30pm
• Elementary (6-12) - M-F, 8:30am-3pm

Yes. We offer Early Arrival for all programs M-F, 7:45-8:15am. We offer After School for all full-day programs M-F, 2:30-5:30pm. We do not have care for half-day children after their 12:30pm departure.

Our school year generally runs from the middle of August through the end of May. We often follow the Austin Independent School District calendar, but please refer to our school calendar for current dates.

Yes, we offer a 5% tuition discount for the youngest child.

We have a limited amount of tuition assistance available for qualifying families after their first year at Parkside.