OUR SCHOOL
Built by Parents, Not by a Committee.
Nerd Academy is a nonprofit private school in Odessa, TX founded by Abel and Raquel Nunez after their own experiences as parents forced them to ask a hard question:What would we build if we stopped waiting for someone else to fix school?
The answer became Nerd Academy: a small, founder-led school built with clear expectations, strong academics, parent communication, and a serious belief that children deserve to be noticed before they are labeled.
OUR STORY
We did not set out to start a school.
We set out to solve a problem.
Like many parents, we trusted that school would do what it was supposed to do: teach the essentials, protect the students, communicate clearly, and respond when something was not working.
Over time, we saw how easily families could be dismissed when they raised concerns. We saw how quickly children could be labeled before anyone slowed down to understand what was actually happening. We saw how hard it could be to get straight answers when a child needed support, structure, or accountability from the adults around them.
At some point, frustration was not enough. We had to build.
Nerd Academy began with our own children in mind, but it did not stay there. Once we started building the kind of school we wanted for our family, we realized other families were looking for the same thing: a school small enough to know their child, honest enough to communicate clearly, and serious enough to do the work.
WHY WE BUILT NERD ACADEMY
We wanted a school where concerns did not disappear into the walls.
Parents should not have to fight for basic clarity. They should not have to wonder whether their child is safe, whether academic gaps are being noticed, or whether behavior concerns are being handled consistently.We built Nerd Academy because we wanted a different kind of relationship between school and family. One where parents are not treated like interruptions. One where students are not reduced to labels. One where the adults in the building take responsibility for the culture they create.
That does not mean every day is perfect. It means problems are addressed directly, expectations are clear, and the school stays close enough to its families to know what is really happening.
MEET THE FOUNDERS
Abel and Raquel Nunez
Nerd Academy is led by its founders, Abel and Raquel Nunez. Together, they built Nerd Academy as parents first. Not as career school operators trying to sell a program, but as a family that saw a need and decided to create a real alternative.ABEL NUNEZ
Abel brings experience in military education and training, marketing, technology, oil and gas, and real-world readiness. His background shaped the school’s focus on preparation, communication, systems, future skills, and learning that connects to the world students are growing into.
RAQUEL NUNEZ
Raquel brings experience in nursing, management, homeschooling, and daily student support. Her background shaped the school’s attention to care, structure, communication, and the practical realities families face.
WHAT GUIDES US
We are not trying to be a smaller version of the same system.
Nerd Academy is guided by a few practical beliefs.Children should be known.
A student should not disappear into a classroom, a label, or a file folder. Adults should know who they are, how they learn, where they struggle, and where they are ready to grow.
Parents should be taken seriously.
Parents often see the warning signs first. Their concerns deserve direct conversation, not dismissal.
Structure is an act of care.
Clear expectations help students feel safe. Children need boundaries, routines, and adults who follow through.
Academics should be honest.
If a student has a gap, the school should name it, address it, and communicate about it. Pretending everything is fine helps no one.
School should connect to life.
Students need more than assignments. They need to learn how to think, communicate, solve problems, and understand the world around them.
Founder-Led by Design
Families should know who is responsible.
Nerd Academy is intentionally small and founder-led. That matters.
In large systems, families can get passed from person to person until no one clearly owns the problem. At Nerd Academy, leadership is close to the classrooms, close to the families, and close to the mission.
That does not make us perfect. It makes us accountable.
In large systems, families can get passed from person to person until no one clearly owns the problem. At Nerd Academy, leadership is close to the classrooms, close to the families, and close to the mission.
What We Are Building
A school with roots, standards, and direction.
Nerd Academy is rooted in Odessa and shaped by the realities of West Texas families.
We believe students should be proud of where they come from and prepared for where they are going.
We are building a school that respects foundational academics, real-world learning, parent partnership, and student confidence. A school where reading and math matter, but so do communication, creativity, responsibility, and future readiness.
We are still growing and building. But the direction is clear: a serious school for families who want something different and are ready to be part of it.
Take the Next Step
Come meet the people
behind the school.
The best way to understand Nerd Academy is to visit.
See the classrooms. Ask the direct questions. Tell us what you are looking for. Meet the people responsible for the school’s mission, culture, and direction.
If Nerd Academy is the right fit, we will help you understand the next step.