At a Glance
Trust Score
Based on comprehensive analysis of reviews, safety records, and operations.
About Paragon Prep Preschool
Academic Focused Care on Houston Street
Paragon Prep Preschool, formerly known as Elsass Academy, has been a staple of the Austin community since 1985. The program utilizes a proprietary 'Links to Learning' curriculum, which expertly balances academic fundamentals like literacy and math with critical social-emotional development. Each classroom is designed to be a warm, inviting space where children can explore specialized learning centers, including a unique cooking classroom and dedicated areas for Spanish and music instruction. The facility prioritizes a high-transparency environment with a strong focus on professional staff development. Beyond the classroom, children enjoy extensive outdoor nature areas and sports zones. Safety is integrated into daily operations through restricted campus access, ID-verified pick-up policies, and a 'face-to-name' supervision rule. Families stay connected to their child's progress through a dedicated mobile app that provides daily photo updates and detailed reports on learning...
What Parents Say
5 reviews from parents
Our baby has been attending Paragon for the past 3 months and we love it. The teachers in the infant room (Ms Alisha, Ms Eunice, and Ms Betty) take amazing care of him - they are super responsive and accommodating to our requests. Thank you Paragon teachers for making it such a positive experience!
We have loved our experience at Paragon. The friendliest staff, the best teachers. Our daughter started out with Miss. Stephanie who really helped her transition into the daycare setting & made her feel comfortable and loved. We then moved into Miss. Lucy and Miss Rosa’s class where she had an even better experience. & we now have Miss. Taylor and Mrs. Kathy who has been a true blessing to us. All these teachers have made our daughter feel SO loved. She loves going to school everyday!! We are so thankful for Paragon.
I have been sending my daughter to Paragon for the last 2+ years and have been so happy with my experience. The admin staff communicate well with parents and support their high quality teachers well! I love getting the pictures and videos they send everyday and the way that teachers can tell me about my child's progress, mood, and activities throughout the day when I pick her up. Planning to send my second child here once he's in the world! I want to give a special shoutout to my favorite teachers, who have gone out of their way to love on my kid and help me feel comfortable and confident dropping her off each day: - Ms. Betty in the purple room - Ms. Alisha, Ms. Jessica, and Ms. Idirika in the yellow room - Ms. Oli in the teal room - Ms. Lucy and Ms. Rosa in the blue room - Ms. Margarita and Ms. TJ in the red room These have just been my child's primary teachers, but everyone I've ever met at Paragon have been kind, attentive, smart, and enthusiastic about being with my kid. Thanks Paragon!
Both of our children attend Paragon Prep. We feel so blessed to have found this school! We love the staff, from the front office to the classroom teachers, they all make our children feel so loved and special! Our daughter is 2 and has been there since infancy. Our son is 4 months old and is currently in the purple room. We absolutely loved Ms. Alisha and Ms. Betty when our daughter was in the purple room. They are so great with the babies and it’s so nice to have the same teachers with our son that our daughter had! We love the daily updates, photos, and constant communication between the staff and parents. They send out surveys asking for parent feedback on how they can improve. They have recently implemented Spanish, Music, and Cooking classes into the curriculum! Our 2 year old is thriving and learning so much! I’m so impressed by the amount she has learned in both English and Spanish! We couldn’t recommend this school more!
We’ve been attending Paragon Prep Preschool for 18 months and have been so thrilled with the experience! The staff is knowledgeable, caring and engaged, making adjustments as needed to ensure clear communication with parents and providing an exceptional learning environment for our little one. The excitement to see Ms. Lucy and Ms. Rosa are what get my child running out of the door in the morning to go to school. Paragon Prep Preschool recently added additional enrichments of Spanish with Ms. Sheila and Science with Ms. Sarah. The additions have expanded our little one’s knowledge with her being more curious about nature and even counting by herself to 10 in Spanish as a 2 year old! We are thrilled with our choice of Paragon Prep Preschool.
Web Report
Aggregated insights from public records & parent discussions
Safety Record
No public reports of safety incidents, accidents, or lawsuits were found for this specific location. The facility is a licensed child care center (License #1775204, issued July 2023), though its parent company, Spring Education Group, was reportedly suspended from school choice funds in Florida in 2023 due to international ownership ties. No major state licensing violations are currently highlighted in public news summaries for the Houston St campus.
Parent Reputation
Parent reviews on Niche are highly positive, specifically praising specialized programs in Spanish, music, and cooking, with an overall rating of approximately 4.96/5 for the school system. However, recent discussions on local parent forums like Reddit express dissatisfaction with the school's 2023 transition to corporate ownership, with some parents reporting a decline in administrative quality and school culture. The Better Business Bureau gives the school an A+ rating, although it is not BBB accredited.
Staff Insights
The school employs specialized instructors for music, Spanish, and cooking in addition to lead teachers and assistants. Job postings for teacher assistants list pay ranges between $13.75 and $17.50 per hour, with benefits including 401(k), health insurance, and paid time off. While parents frequently praise individual teachers for being nurturing and knowledgeable, some forum comments criticize the current administration and management for lacking teaching experience.
Quick Information
Varies by age and schedule





