Recent News
Last month, two teams from the Ann Richards School traveled to Dallas for the 2026 Young Women’s Preparatory Network STEM Challenge at NorthPark Center. After first competing locally, one middle school team and one high school team earned the opportunity to present their ideas alongside students from all 11 Young Women’s Preparatory Network schools. The... Read more »
Last week, our Star students had the opportunity to be part of something special at the Western Governors University Austin Women in Tech Impactors Network gathering, held at Austin Community College’s Rio Grande Campus. Students, nonprofit leaders, and community partners came together with a shared goal of opening more doors for girls and women in... Read more »
The Ann Richards School Library proudly hosted the annual Battle of the Books for the fourth consecutive year, welcoming student readers from across Central Texas for two exciting days of literary competition. This year, sixteen high school teams from Austin ISD and Pflugerville ISD participated in the high school competition, while ten Austin ISD middle... Read more »
The main commons area at the Ann Richards School transformed into a hub of scrubs, stethoscopes, and career possibilities during the Ascension Seton Healthcare Exploration Day. Through a partnership with Ascension Seton, all of our Stars in grades 6–12 spent the day rotating through interactive sessions led by professionals from 20 hospital departments, including pharmacy,... Read more »
The Ann Richards School Foundation is proud to welcome new board member Kathy Burrell to its Board of Directors. We are grateful to the Foundation’s Board for their leadership and support of the Ann Richards School community. New Board Member Kathy Burrell Senior Vice President at Bank of America, N.A.
Last month, our Stars had the incredible opportunity to host students from Austin’s sister city in Oita, Japan, as part of a special cultural exchange program coordinated by the Texas International Education Consortium (TIEC). Through this meaningful partnership, 8th-grade students from Oita traveled to Austin for English language learning and cultural immersion. During their visit,... Read more »
Each year, our Star 6th graders work on a meaningful community project to design and build animal enrichment devices for the rescue animals at the Austin Zoo. Students combine research, creativity, and hands-on problem-solving to support the zookeepers during feeding time and provide much-needed stimulation for the animals. The project begins with observation and research.... Read more »
Earlier this semester, College Success Day connected our current Stars with Ann Richards School alumni to learn firsthand what life looks like after graduation. Alumni joined us in person and via Zoom to participate in personalized Q&A sessions with middle and high school students. More than 30 Star alumni shared their college journeys, offering honest... Read more »
The 2025-2026 school year Teacher of the Year for the Ann Richards School was awarded to Ms. Amber O’Donnell. Ms. O’Donnell is the Math Department Chair and teaches 8th-grade math to our Stars. This fall, Ms. O’Donnell led the opening and operation of the Math Tutoring Center. The Math Tutoring Center meets our students at... Read more »
The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders has announced a search for its next high school principal, seeking an experienced and visionary principal to lead the nationally recognized, all-girls public school serving grades 6–12 in the Austin Independent School District. The new principal will guide a vibrant community of more than 900 students who... Read more »
