Elon Musk has spoken for years about reshaping education. In his view, learning should be highly engaging, interactive, and resemble a video game as much as possible. He has argued that schools should allow children to progress at their own speed, with instruction customized to fit individual strengths, interests, and abilities rather than forcing everyone into the same academic mold.

Beginning in 2023, Musk attempted to turn this philosophy into reality through a new elementary school in Bastrop, Texas, a small city located just minutes from several of his companies, including SpaceX. The project represented another ambitious experiment by the tech billionaire, this time aimed at redefining how children learn.

Musk purchased nearly two dozen acres of land and assigned trusted senior aides to oversee the launch of the private school. Educators from across the United States were interviewed, and some were recruited to join the faculty. The plan was for the school to serve students from prekindergarten through fifth or sixth grade. When enrollment opened last year for roughly 50 students, interest was overwhelming, with thousands of families submitting applications.

“Everyone wants their kid to grow up like Elon Musk,” said Judah Ross, a 37-year-old real estate agent in Bastrop who applied on behalf of his three-year-old son.

Despite the early enthusiasm, the school’s current reality appears far removed from its original vision. The institution, known as Ad Astra, Latin for “to the stars,” is housed in a white-columned building surrounded by a wrought-iron fence and flying a Texas flag. But according to documents from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which oversees such facilities, Ad Astra is now registered not as an elementary school but as a licensed child care program.

State records indicate that the program serves around 10 children aged five and under. It employs two caregivers, provides simple snacks like apples and graham crackers, and follows a daily nap schedule. A January inspection report noted that children slept on individual cots labeled with their names. The report also made clear that the program does not serve school-age children.

Musk is not alone among wealthy and influential figures who have tried to establish their own schools. Entrepreneurs and celebrities such as Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and LeBron James have all pursued education initiatives, with varying levels of success. In Musk’s case, the transformation of Ad Astra into a day care highlights the challenges of disrupting education, even with substantial financial backing. The shift comes after Musk has poured more than $600 million into various education-related efforts over the years.

The 54-year-old billionaire, who is the father of at least 14 children, has explored opening elementary schools, a high school, and even a university since 2021, according to state filings and interviews with people familiar with his plans. While three schools have technically launched, two have either closed or significantly scaled back, and another has moved entirely online. The proposed university appears to have stalled altogether.

Musk’s own children are unlikely to be enrolled at the Bastrop campus. According to people familiar with the situation, Musk and his partner Shivon Zilis, with whom he has at least four children, have chosen to homeschool their kids.

Education experts say these struggles are not unusual. Larry Cuban, an emeritus professor of education at Stanford University, noted that many billionaires underestimate the complexity of running a school. Having gone through school themselves, he said, they often believe they fully understand teaching and learning, only to discover that managing an educational institution is far more difficult than expected.

There is still a chance that Ad Astra could expand in the future, mirroring the way Musk’s businesses often begin on a small scale before growing rapidly. Musk, who recently advised President Trump and has been involved with his artificial intelligence venture xAI, did not respond to requests for comment.

For more than a decade, Musk has described his ideal school as a place where students can pursue their deepest interests. In an interview last year with the Milken Institute, he reiterated that education should be interactive and centered on curiosity rather than rigid curricula.

Musk’s first attempt at such a school dates back to 2014, when an earlier version of Ad Astra opened at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. That school enrolled around 50 students, roughly half of whom were children of SpaceX employees, according to a 2022 podcast interview with Josh Dahn, who co-founded the school with Musk.

At the time, Musk enrolled his five children from his first marriage to Justine Musk, withdrawing them from a private elementary school in Los Angeles’ Bel Air neighborhood. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the school transitioned to online instruction and opened virtual classes to the public. Control of the school was later transferred to a charity established by Dahn, according to tax records.

In 2021, Musk joked online about creating a university, suggesting the name Texas Institute of Technology & Science and quipping that it would have “epic merch.” That same year, his chief personal adviser, Jared Birchall, set up a nonprofit organization aimed at founding an independent primary school, high school, and university. Musk donated $100 million to support the effort, which described its mission as building elite STEM-focused schools.

Since 2022, the Musk Foundation has contributed approximately $607 million to this organization. However, by 2023, public documents no longer mentioned plans for a university. An accreditation body in the southern United States later said it had found no communication from Musk regarding the accreditation of a proposed university.

After relocating from California to Texas in 2020, Musk shifted his focus to educational projects within the state. A new Ad Astra campus was launched at SpaceX’s south Texas launch site, with tax documents outlining plans for kindergarten through middle school programs. Yet by early last year, that location appeared to have closed to the public, and it remains unclear whether it still operates for SpaceX employees.

The Bastrop school was intended to follow a Montessori-style approach, emphasizing child-led learning, according to state filings. Plans called for 54 students and a full-time teaching staff. Birchall and Jehn Balajadia, a longtime Musk associate, were listed as leaders of the project. Teachers were recruited, and some were told the school would eventually employ dozens of educators.

The school, however, encountered regulatory and administrative setbacks. State records show that Ad Astra had to resubmit its application to operate as a child care program and address staffing issues related to required credentials. Emails to parents indicated that the opening was delayed multiple times.

In October 2024, school representatives held a Zoom information session for parents, outlining the curriculum and expected learning outcomes. According to parents who attended, the school emphasized flexibility and STEM education, with outdoor science lessons and hands-on activities. Children would help care for animals such as horses and chickens.

Tuition was expected to be around $1,000 per month, with mixed-age classrooms. Parents were told that Musk’s employees would not receive priority and that families accepted into the school would need to sign nondisclosure agreements.

Interest extended well beyond Texas. Ross said he received calls from families across the country considering relocation to Bastrop for a chance to enroll their children. After his son was rejected, he received an email explaining that thousands of applications had been submitted for only a few dozen available spots.

“We are deeply moved by the community’s interest in our new school for the next generation of problem solvers and builders,” wrote administrator Greg Marick in the message to parents. Marick previously helped establish a school on the Hawaiian island of Lanai, which is owned by billionaire Larry Ellison, a friend of Musk. A phone number associated with Marick later reached someone who said he was no longer involved with Ad Astra.

A recent visit to the Bastrop campus revealed little visible activity. Only two cars were parked outside, and security personnel asked a reporter to leave without passing along questions to school officials.

Zarema Saldana, a 33-year-old baker from Austin, said she applied to enroll her two daughters but never received a response. She had believed her children were strong candidates, as they speak Russian and study ballet and gymnastics. Learning that Ad Astra now serves only much younger children came as a surprise.

“They had really ambitious plans,” she said.