Ad Astra: 5 things about preschool by Elon Musk set to open in 2025

Ad Astra, Elon Musk's preschool in Texas, is set to open in 2025 with an initial permit for 21 students.

Ad Astra, Elon Musk’s preschool in Bastrop, Texas, is set to open in 2025. According to a Bloomberg report, documents filed with state authorities show that an initial permit was issued in November 2024 to the centre to operate with 21 students.

Ad Astra’s website says it’s “currently open to all children ages 3 to 9.” The school’s account on X includes job postings for an assistant teacher for preschool and kindergarten and an assistant teacher for students ages 6 to 9, the report stated.

Here are five things about Elon Musk’s new preschool-

• Bloomberg reported that Ad Astra is partnering with Xplor Education, a company that has experience with billionaires. It developed Hala Kahiki Montessori school in Lanai, Hawaii, the island 98 per cent owned by Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison.
• Ad Astra is located on a highway outside Bastrop, about 30 miles from Austin and part of a region that's home to several of Musk's businesses. Ad Astra is located on 40 acres of land, according to the documents, which said a 4,000-square-foot house would be remodelled for the preschool.
• According to the school’s website, its mission is to “foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and builders”. Their education model is centred around hands-on, project-based learning where students are encouraged to discover solutions to real-world problems through experiment and experimentation. Their curriculum focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
• Ad Astra’s website says the cost of tuition will be initially subsidized, but in future years “tuition will be in line with local private schools that include an extended day program.” The teacher-to-student ratio in the school is 12:1 or better for primary classes and 1:15 or better for lower elementary, according to the school’s website.
• A part of the billionaire’s endeavour was revealed last year when Bloomberg News reported that the Musk Foundation had set aside roughly $100 million to create a technology-focused primary and secondary school in Austin, with eventual plans for a university. According to the Musk Foundation's most recent tax filing, an additional $137 million in cash and stock was allotted last year.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)