About Us

In January of 1991 Austin Parkside Community School was just a dream. This dream began to come to fruition, however, when two teachers, Joe and Claire Bruno, along with benefactors and supporters, Eduardo Longoria and his partner, Mary Ann Justman, toured an abandoned meat packing plant at 1701 Toomey Road in Austin, Texas. Through the efforts of a committed team, this dilapidated industrial warehouse in the backyard of Zilker Park was transformed with love and sweat into a beautiful garden of learning. The project was serendipitous from the start.

The Austin Montessori school opened with 75 children from toddler level through sixth grade. Today, Parkside has an enrollment of 138 students, serving three-year-olds to twelve-year-olds, Primary through Upper Elementary. Parkside offers quality Montessori education while cultivating social skills and a strong sense of community through school-wide activities and outdoor experiences. From group movement and cultural celebrations to swimming in Barton Creek, Parkside Community School is committed to providing academic excellence and rich social experiences to nurture the child, family and community.

Parkside is pleased to have been the host site for the Texas Montessori Education Center’s 1999-2000 AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) Primary teacher training program. Our tradition of excellence in education continues.