Education across the country is about to look a little different and much more futuristic. A new AI-powered private school, Alpha School, is opening a brand-new campus near Dulles International Airport this fall, giving local families a front-row seat to what could be the next significant shift in learning, AfroTech reports.

According to The Washington Post, Alpha School will launch in grades K-3, starting with just 25 students. Tuition varies across campuses, with costs ranging from $15,000 to $65,000. While the Virginia school is the newest venture, Alpha isn’t new to the game; it is already opening campuses in Austin, Brownsville, and Miami, with 11 more on the way in states like New York and California.

So, how does it work? Instead of traditional teachers, Alpha uses AI “guides” to lead the classroom. These guides don’t need teaching licenses or formal educational backgrounds. Instead, they lean on adaptive learning apps and personalized instruction to help kids move at their own pace. The goal? No more sitting through long lessons if you already get it, and no more falling behind if you don’t. The program promises students will “progress with concept-based mastery and without any knowledge gaps.”

Afternoons are a little less about math worksheets and more about life skills like public speaking and coding. The adults in the room serve as mentors and motivators instead of teachers. 

“We motivate kids by giving them the gift of time to pursue the things they want to do and develop life skills. Adults in the room support motivated students to foster a growth mindset and independent learning,” Alpha’s website explains.

MacKenzie Price, the co-founder of Alpha School, told reporters, “What we realized is that kids do not need to sit in class all day doing academics.” She also cleared up some misconceptions, saying AI does not generate the curriculum and students won’t be using chatbots. Instead, the tech monitors activity to keep kids from rushing through lessons.

Still, not everyone is sold on the idea, stressing that AI-powered schools sans teachers may only work for students already excited to learn. Still, the U.S. government is pushing hard for AI education. Earlier this year, an executive order emphasized preparing students for an “AI-ready workforce.”

“To ensure the United States remains a global leader in this technological revolution, we must provide our Nation’s youth with opportunities to cultivate the skills and understanding necessary to use and create the next generation of AI technology,” the order read.

Love it or side-eye it, one thing’s clear—classrooms in Northern Virginia are about to look less like a chalkboard-and-desk setup and more like a sci-fi movie scene. And for the next generation of students, this could mean mastering their multiplication tables while also learning how to code their own apps before middle school.

Cover photo: A New AI Private School Is Set to Open in Virginia This Fall/Photo credit: Alpha School