Elon Musk's Private Elementary School To Open In Fall, Now Taking Applications: 'The Next Generation Of Problem Solvers'

A new Texas school linked to billionaire Elon Musk is set to open this fall and began accepting applications on Wednesday. The school follows a previous institution Musk founded for his own children and the kids of his SpaceX employees.

What Happened: Texas continues to hold a special place in Musk's heart as the headquarters for several of his businesses. The state will also be the home of Ad Astra, a private STEM-focused school launched as the successor to the school Musk previously created.

"Ad Astra is launching in Bastrop, Texas! Applications for the 2024-2025 school year are now open," a tweet from the Ad Astra account said Wednesday.

The school's website reveals a mission to "foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers."

"Ad Astra's approach to education is centered around hands-on, project-based learning, where children are encouraged to explore, experiment, and discover solutions to real-world problems. Ad Astra offers a progressive learnings environment that emphasizes the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) into its curriculum."

The school is currently accepting applications for children aged 3 to 9, with plans to expand to K-12 in the future. The opening for the 2024-2025 school year is pending a license from Texas Health and Human Services, the website says.

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CDT on Sept. 1, 2024. Applications after this date could be considered based on space. No application fee is required. Families will be updated on the enrollment status by Sept. 7, 2024.

Tuition for the first year will be subsidized and cover the school day (8 a.m. to 3 p.m.), the afternoon program (3 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and items like school materials, registration fees, daily snacks and enrichment activities. The school said tuition will be similar to local private schools in the following years.

The website lists capacities of 18 students for the primary (age 3 to 6) and 30 students for the lower elementary (age 6 to 9).

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Why It's Important: Musk has been looking to expand his school offerings with reports of funding for a new university in Texas. The report, citing tax filings for charity The Foundation, which is led by Musk, previously said a new university would come after the launch of a STEM-focused primary and secondary school.

The plan calls for the creation of a "university dedicated to education at the highest level."

Musk previously started Ad Astra for his children and the children of his employees. Based on the open application process, the new school will be available to all local children, but could also help with getting new employees for his neighboring businesses.

Benzinga previously reported that Musk was working on creating housing through a residential area in Texas that could provide options for employees of his companies.

With the launch of the new school and reports of real estate developments, Texas could soon host Musk-owned businesses alongside housing and educational options for employees and their families.

Musk has previously shared his criticism of public school systems.

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Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.