Hill Country Day School

09/05/2026

Much anticipated, and the announcement is here! Meet Kelsey McKay, our Director of Operations!

Kelsey has a long line of experience, starting as a preschool teacher, then director, and most recently as a Texas Rising Star Mentor helping schools in the area achieve and maintain their accreditation! She is ready to get back to the day-to-day of running a preschool, and we could not be more excited to have her!

Kelsey will keep the behind-the-scenes of Hill Country Day School running smoothly, from logistics to systems to making sure our team has what they need to focus on the kids. Her attention to detail and steady leadership are a huge part of what makes this school possible.

We are so grateful to have her on our team. Welcome, Kelsey!

08/03/2026

Another Director Reveal!! Nik brings nearly a decade of experience in nature education, from building outdoor learning programs from scratch to leading preschool classrooms and running large scale summer camps at the Blue Hole with Texas Parks and Wildlife. He has supervised and mentored teams of staff along the way, and he knows what it takes to help both children and teachers thrive outside. When he is not out in nature, you might catch Nik on stage. He recently played Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and this September, he is marrying his fiancé. We are so excited to welcome Nik and his wealth of nature knowledge to Hill Country Day School!

To learn more about our team: https://hillcountrydayschool.com/about/ourteam/

07/02/2026

06/19/2026

Being part of this community in a meaningful way has been one of the things I have looked forward to most about opening Hill Country Day School.

Today Ashley, our Director of Enrollment and Family Experience, and Payton, our Operational Support Specialist, represented HCDS at the Early Matters New Braunfels event. Early Matters is a new initiative partnered with McKenna Foundation and New Braunfels Chamber focused on early childhood in our community.

This is exactly the kind of work we look forward to being a part of. It’s not just a school for us. We are showing up for the broader conversation about what early childhood looks like in New Braunfels.

Proud of this team!

06/18/2026

I’m Haleigh, and I’m opening a preschool here in New Braunfels this fall. Hill Country Day School will sit on 5 acres off River Chase Way and serve children 8 weeks through Pre-K 4. We’re nature-based, play-driven, and built around the idea that little kids should actually get to be little kids exploring the outdoors.

We are taking pre-enrollments, we anticipate opening in an October.
Http://hillcountrydayschool.com

We will also start hardhat tours in July.
Http://hillcountrydayschool.com/tour
If you’re a teacher or know one, we’re hiring. We’re looking for educators who genuinely love children and believe in the way we’re doing this. Bonus if you have nature, forest, Reggio, Montessori, or like experience.

Fill out an application here: https://hillcountrydayschool.com/careers/

Follow our contruction updates here:
www.instagram.com/hillcountrydayschool

Feel free to DM me here with any questions. I’d love to connect!

06/18/2026

Looking forward to connecting with others tomorrow!

It's the final countdown!

06/15/2026

It is with so much excitement that we introduce one of our directors, Ashley Willingham.

Ashley joins Hill Country Day School as our Director of Enrollment and Family Experience and she has already been instrumental in building the systems and processes that will shape how families experience this school from day one.

What makes Ashley so special for this role: she is a New Braunfels native and Comal ISD grad who is giving back to the very community that raised her. She brings 16 years of early childhood experience, starting in the classroom and growing into leadership, and a genuine love for the families and children she serves.

Ashley will be the first voice most of our families hear. We could not have chosen a better person for that.

Welcome to the team, Ashley. We are so glad you are here.

www.hillcountrydayschool.com

05/25/2026

Today we pause to honor and remember those who gave everything so we could have the life we get to live.

05/13/2026

Twenty years ago I helped build a school 8,000 miles from home. Today I am building one in my own backyard and making sure more families in this community have a path to being part of it.

The Hill Country Children's Foundation is officially a 501(c)(3) nonprofit! The foundation exists to assist with financial barriers through need-based scholarships.

More about the mission: https://hillcountrydayschool.com/hill-country-childrens-foundation-new-braunfels-texas/

www.hillcountrychildrensfoundation.org

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to the woman who made me the mom I am today. The best mom I know and the best Gammy around. To every mom and mother figure celebrating today: you are seen, you are loved, and you deserve every bit of this day. 💗