Ranked among the top 3 childcare centers in Bastrop / Elgin across all 11 quality dimensions — placing this center in the very top tier of local options.
Best for Safety
Earned the highest safety score in Bastrop / Elgin. Our safety dimension weighs inspection history, deficiency records, and parent-reported safety culture across reviews.
Best Teachers
Earned the highest teacher quality score in Bastrop / Elgin. This dimension weighs staff tenure, qualifications, warmth reported in parent reviews, and consistency of care across classrooms.
Best Curriculum
Earned the highest curriculum score in Bastrop / Elgin. This dimension evaluates structured learning, developmental programming, and how well daily activities prepare children for each stage.
Best K-Ready
Earned the highest kindergarten-readiness score in Bastrop / Elgin. This dimension reflects pre-literacy, pre-math, and school-readiness preparation reported by parents and visible in the curriculum.
Best Arts & Music
Earned the highest arts & music score in Bastrop / Elgin. This dimension reflects the depth and consistency of creative programming — visual arts, music, movement, and imaginative play.
Full Ranking Detail
kinderschool-age
Ad Astra School is a selective, admissions-based childcare and early education center in Bastrop, Texas, serving ages 3–9 in a farmhouse setting with a 21-child capacity. Operating from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, the school employs a project-based, hands-on progressive curriculum that emphasizes STEM learning, executive function development, and individualized work periods in multi-age family-like classroom communities. Its regulatory compliance record is spotless, with zero high-severity HHSC deficiencies and a Grade A safety rating. The admissions program is now closed due to its intimate scale and selective model, and as a preschool-plus program, it does not serve infants.
Safety9.0
Curriculum9.0
Art / Music8.0
Infant care3.0
Kindergarten readiness8.0
Teacher quality8.0
Compassion7.0
Management6.0
Culture8.0
Class sizes9.0
Extracurriculars8.0
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Project-based, hands-on progressive learning that integrates STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). Uses an activity-based, individualized curriculum with uninterrupted work periods and multi-age groupings, supported by modern scientific research to promote executive functions.
What sets it apart: Serves children ages 3-9 in multi-age, family-like classroom communities. Emphasizes social, emotional, and practical life skills. Located in Bastrop, Texas, opening for the 2024-25 school year.
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
🏆 For Center Directors
Your center has earned independent recognition based on verified parent reviews. You are welcome to display this badge on your website. Paste the snippet below into your site's HTML — it links back to this verified recognition page.
Top 3 in Bastrop / Elgin
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Ad Astra School -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/texas/austin/bastrop-elgin/ad-astra-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-3-city.jpg"
alt="Top 3 in Bastrop / Elgin - Ad Astra School - Bastrop / Elgin, TX"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
Best for Safety
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Ad Astra School -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/texas/austin/bastrop-elgin/ad-astra-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-safety.jpg"
alt="Best for Safety - Ad Astra School - Bastrop / Elgin, TX"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
Best Teachers
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Ad Astra School -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/texas/austin/bastrop-elgin/ad-astra-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-teacherq.jpg"
alt="Best Teachers - Ad Astra School - Bastrop / Elgin, TX"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
Best Curriculum
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Ad Astra School -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/texas/austin/bastrop-elgin/ad-astra-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-curriculum.jpg"
alt="Best Curriculum - Ad Astra School - Bastrop / Elgin, TX"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
Best K-Ready
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Ad Astra School -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/texas/austin/bastrop-elgin/ad-astra-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-kinder.jpg"
alt="Best K-Ready - Ad Astra School - Bastrop / Elgin, TX"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
Best Arts & Music
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Ad Astra School -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/texas/austin/bastrop-elgin/ad-astra-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-arts.jpg"
alt="Best Arts & Music - Ad Astra School - Bastrop / Elgin, TX"
width="120" loading="lazy">
</a>
This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.
