The PREP School of Caliterra is planned for Dripping Springs, bringing another early childhood education option to families along Ranch Road 12. A new state filing outlines a $3.5 million, 14,020-square-foot campus at 26025 Ranch Road 12, near the entrance to Caliterra.
For families, the story goes beyond a new building. PREP’s approach pairs classroom learning with opportunities to create, explore outdoors, and practice everyday skills. The Caliterra project would extend a brand already serving the area through its Nutty Brown and Headwaters schools.
A New Place for Little Learners
The PREP Schools’ educational approach centers on each child’s individual needs. Its stated goals include social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development, with parents involved in the learning process.
Across the brand, programs range from infant care through preschool, pre-K, transitional kindergarten, and after-school activities. Its Headwaters campus lists infant programs beginning at six weeks old. Caliterra’s specific age groups, tuition, capacity, and enrollment dates have not yet been confirmed.
From Outdoor Discovery to Hands-On Art
PREP’s campus overview describes outdoor classrooms where children explore nature, technology rooms with coding robots and STEM activities, and dedicated art spaces for painting and cooking projects.
The brand also describes family-style meals that encourage independence and manners. Indoor multipurpose spaces give children room for movement when weather limits outdoor play. These examples explain the PREP model; a final list of features for Caliterra has not been announced.
Where The PREP School of Caliterra Fits
The city’s October 2025 planning report identifies a roughly 4.98-acre tract at Caliterra’s entrance. Applicants Angie and Brad Mendenhall, of MBARR Holdings LLC, proposed splitting the tract into two lots and building the school on the southern portion.
The report describes a conditional zoning overlay with limited land uses and a 30-foot landscape buffer beside nearby homes. The school therefore occupies part of the larger tract; the entire 4.98 acres should not be read as the school’s campus size.
According to Hays Free Press’ October 2025 reporting, City Council unanimously approved the rezoning. Mendenhall described this as a third school serving the Dripping Springs area, intended to reach families west of Canyonwood Drive.
The PREP School of Caliterra Construction Plans
TDLR project TABS2027000516 lists a new, single-story, freestanding childcare facility measuring 14,020 square feet. The estimated construction cost is $3.5 million, with a listed start of October 1, 2026, and completion of October 1, 2027.
The state registration provides a construction schedule, not a confirmed opening date. Earlier coverage cited a goal of opening for the 2027 school year. Families should look for a separate announcement about enrollment and the first day of operations.