SpaceX CEO Elon Musk plans to establish a STEM-focused elementary and secondary school in Texas before establishing a glittering university “dedicated to the highest level of education,” according to tax filings. Musk, who moved to the Lone Star State from California during the pandemic, is funding the school in Austin with a $100 million donation from a billionaire philanthropic organization called The Foundation, according to tax filings first reported by Bloomberg.
The charity’s name seems to be a nod to the science fiction series written by famous author Isaac Asimov that details the collapse of a ruling empire to make way for the birth of an alternative society, but it is also a mask to the current education system. Fitting given his public criticism.
Last year, the head of Tesla and SpaceX revealed to a liberal university that he was estranged from his 19-year-old daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, who recently changed her legal name to avoid association with the world’s richest man. I blamed it.
Musk also said Asimov’s “Foundation” series influenced his decision to start SpaceX 10 years ago with the goal of one day landing on Mars. According to Bloomberg, the foundation’s application to open the school was originally submitted in October 2022 and approved in March, but it’s unclear when the K-12 school will break ground.
A representative for Mr. Musk did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The project begins with K-12 schools with a STEM focus: science, technology, engineering, and math. Once it’s up and running, it “ultimately intends to expand its operations and establish a university dedicated to the highest level of education,” according to its application for tax-exempt status with the IRS. Musk said the university will boast “experienced faculty” and “hands-on learning experiences including simulations, case studies, manufacturing/design projects, and labs” woven into the traditional curriculum. Tesla’s president must first seek accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission, which accredits degree-granting institutions in many Southern states.
This is not Musk’s first foray into the world of school education. In 2014, the father of 10 co-founded an “experimental” private school called Ad Astra inside SpaceX’s California offices for his five sons and select employees. Ad Astra’s curriculum was unusual, abandoning sports, music and foreign languages ​​to focus on artificial intelligence, coding and applied science. When Musk moved to Texas in 2020, the so-called “world’s most exclusive school” followed suit and was renamed Astra Nova School. The school currently has approximately 200 students.
Mr. Musk faces stiff competition in the state capital, where the main campus of the University of Texas is located. According to Bloomberg, UT Austin was also recently established as an “illiberal” alternative to traditional universities in the United States. UT Austin plans to accept its first class of 100 students next fall. Musk plans to expand further into central Texas with the opening of Snailbrook, a town he is building east of Austin to house Tesla and SpaceX employees, as well as staff from his tunnel-building venture, The Boring Company. A floor plan filed in Bastrop County Commissioners Court in January shows a vision for the village of Snailbrook, a reference to the Boring Company mascot. According to the map, Snailbrook will have 110 homes on what would become Boring Boulevard, Waterjet Way, Porpoise Place and Cutterhead Crossing.
Source: nypost.com
