Admissions are open for Pre-K through High School - limited seats per grade. Start your application →
Renaissance Academy
Full-time Islamic School
About Renaissance

A school for the whole child.

We've been quietly building a different kind of school in North Austin since 2007 - one that holds academic excellence and faith formation as one and the same task, not two competing priorities.

Our Mission

Knowledge with character.

Mission statement

Renaissance Academy exists to raise a generation of Muslims who are grounded in the Qur'an and Sunnah, prepared for rigorous academic and professional paths, and ready to serve the community they live in. We measure success not by test scores alone, but by the kind of adult each student becomes.

Read our full mission & vision →
Our Story

Since 2007 - and still small on purpose.

A short version of a longer journey.

Renaissance Academy began in 2007 with a handful of students, a few committed teachers, and a clear conviction: that Muslim children in Austin deserved a school where they didn't have to choose between strong academics and a deep relationship with their faith. Where Qur'an wasn't an extra hour after school, but part of the day. Where teachers knew families by name.

Eighteen years later, we're still that school. We've grown from a small Pre-K program into a full Pre-K through 12 school. We've earned accreditation, sent graduates to top universities, and watched the first cohort of students become parents of their own children at Renaissance. But the size of any individual class - and the relationship between teachers, students, and families - is the same as the day we opened.

إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ
"Actions are by intentions." - Sahih Bukhari

That hadith sits behind everything we do. The intention has stayed the same: educate the whole child, raise good adults, serve the Ummah in Austin and beyond. The methods have grown with the years - accredited curriculum, AP coursework, technology-rich classrooms, a robust Qur'an program - but the why hasn't moved.

Accreditation

Independently verified.

Renaissance is accredited with distinction - meaning our academic program meets the same standards as the top private and public schools in the country, evaluated by independent reviewers.

Accrediting Body

Cognia

The largest community of education professionals in the world. Their accreditation is recognized across all 50 states and over 80 countries.

Regional

SACS & CASI

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement - recognized regional accreditation, important for transcripts and college admissions.

Character

Kindness Certified School

A national recognition for schools that embed kindness, empathy, and character development into their daily program. Earned annually.

What's Different

How a typical day looks here vs. elsewhere.

Most Islamic schools either prioritize academics with token religious instruction, or prioritize religious instruction with weak academics. We aim to refuse that trade-off.

Typical school day

  • Faith instruction once a week or after school
  • Qur'an as a side subject taught by a non-specialist
  • Arabic taught as a "foreign language" with limited contact hours
  • Prayer ad-hoc - students figure it out themselves
  • Standards-based academics, faith bolted on

A day at Renaissance

  • Day begins with morning du'a and a short reflection together
  • Daily Qur'an with dedicated, trained Qur'an teachers
  • Arabic taught as a living language from Pre-K through 12
  • Dhuhr prayer in jama'ah every day, on campus
  • Accredited academics and faith formation as one integrated program
Leadership

Who runs the school.

Renaissance is led by a head of school in partnership with a board of trustees and our families. We deliberately stay flat - parents have direct access to leadership, not gatekeepers.

Our approach to leadership

Open door, high standards, low ego.

Whatever the question - a curriculum decision, a discipline issue, a tuition concern - the path to leadership is short. We've held that as a value since day one, because a school that knows its families well makes better decisions than one that doesn't. If you'd like to meet our leadership team in person, schedule a visit - the head of school personally greets every prospective family.

Come see for yourself.

Reading about a school can only tell you so much. Spend an hour with us on a school day and you'll know if we're the right fit.