Guide to Enrolling in School of Science and Technology (SST) San Antonio for 2024–25

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School of Science and Technology SST middle school students chemistry

The School of Science and Technology (SST) is a network of charter schools that offers a curriculum focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), on campuses that have a close-knit and spirited culture. On November 1, 2023, SST will begin accepting applications for enrollment for the 2024–25 school year. Open enrollment will end on December 16, 2023, and the lottery will be in January 2024. We have put together a guide to help you learn more about School of Science and Technology campuses in the San Antonio area and take steps to enroll your child for the next school year.

About School of Science and Technology in San Antonio

Since its founding in 2005 in San Antonio, SST has focused on offering a rigorous education with an emphasis on math and science courses and projects that allow students to apply their knowledge in computer science and engineering. The school environment is safe and inclusive, and encourages students to act responsibly and give back to their community. SST serves a diverse group of students.

The maker space at SST Northwest shows these values in action. In the maker space, teachers have room to set out the materials for students to do projects that apply their STEM knowledge to the real world. The maker space has 3D printers, and at another SST campus, a student created a 3D-printed prosthetic hand for a boy who had been born with an underdeveloped hand.

School of Science and Technology SST high school students science lab

In the maker space at SST Northwest—and every SST campus—there are computer labs for students to learn coding. The SST curriculum introduces coding to pre-K and kindergarten students through playful activities. When he was principal at SST Northwest, Abel F. De Leon wrote about wanting SST students to grow up as “coding natives.” In the future, more jobs will depend on students having a working knowledge of coding, and SST graduates will have a comfort level with coding as a tool for bringing their dreams into reality.

The maker space also includes a tank for building and testing submersible robots. SST students participate in many types of robotics activities, including LEGO robotics for younger kids and building up to FIRST Robotics Competition. They build small-scale solar cars and work their way up to full-size solar cars that they can ride and compete in.

SST School of Science and Technology Solar Car team and advisor

These opportunities for project-based learning allow students to apply the STEM knowledge they have learned in class to real life challenges. They can use their creativity when choosing problems to test and can build resilience while overcoming obstacles to reach their goals. For examples of projects that allow students the latitude to explore the scientific properties of their world, see the exploring magnetism activities developed by Kelly Alston while she was a teacher at SST Discovery.

To read more about SST in the news, we recommend that you click on the articles linked at the bottom of this post. Also, we invite you to join the San Antonio Charter Moms discussion group on Facebook and ask questions; the group includes current SST families who can comment with answers based on their own experiences.

School of Science and Technology SST high school students laptop

School of Science and Technology Campuses in San Antonio.

In 2024–25, SST will have six schools in the San Antonio region, in addition to schools in Houston and Corpus Christi. These campuses earned high scores on the state’s most recent school report cards. For SST, the school report cards can be hard to interpret because the San Antonio campuses are split across two districts, and those districts include campuses from other regions. Nevertheless, in 2022, based on the most recent state assessments, both the district that includes Alamo, San Antonio College Prep, and Schertz and the district that includes Discovery, Hill Country, and Northwest earned a A ratings. The list below includes links to each campus’s school report card. 

Download the free San Antonio Charter Schools app for an interactive map that includes these campuses and many more. You can also find campus information about SST (and many other schools of choice) in our Guide to Charter Schools in San Antonio.

Hour of Code at School of Science and Technology Discovery

Enroll at SST San Antonio

Families can apply online to enroll their children at SST. Open enrollment for 2024–25 will began on November 1, 2023 and will continue through December 31, 2023. The lottery will be in January 2024. Students who are selected in the lottery will receive a notice inviting them to register; the remaining students will be placed on waiting lists, and will be notified if a spot becomes available. Find more information at SST’s page about the enrollment process. They also have a general FAQ and an application FAQ.

During application season, there will be information sessions and other events in the community for families to learn more about SST. If you need more information, or want to schedule a school tour, reach out to each campus: 

We also recommend following these SST social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram/Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, and LinkedIn

In addition, please join the San Antonio Charter Moms discussion group on Facebook to post questions and search previous discussions about SST. The group includes current SST families who can comment based on their own experiences.

Hour of Code at School of Science and Technology Discovery

Facts About SST

The curriculum at SST is built around helping every student graduate with a strong understanding of STEM and an appreciation of how it connects to problems in the real world. The schools also work to build citizenship, a strong work ethic, and a sense of community among students. Those values are visible in the course work, projects, and extracurricular activities that SST students participate in.

Young students also experience character education to build social-emotional awareness and teach teamwork, respect, and honesty. You can find an example of this approach in the making faces activity, developed by the SST—Northwest pre-K “dream team” of Jennifer St. Pierre and Elizabeth Scott, that combines social emotional learning with a craft and story time. Another character education activity involves showing the students how to create their own memes that demonstrate ideas from the lesson. SST offers enrichment to gifted and talented students, including pullout sessions and additional lab time.

In higher grades, students have access to specialized courses to help them prepare for careers and higher education in STEM fields. Students have access to honors, AP, and dual credit courses. Students work in teams and present their work to each other—a good way to check for true understanding and to build confidence. For examples of how SST helps students build presentation skills, see kids teaching a lesson to adults, a set of activities developed by Mary Luehring, a teacher at SST—San Antonio College Prep.

By building relationships with families, SST schools supports students as they plan for high school graduation and success in college. Mia Rodriguez, while she was a senior at SST—San Antonio College Prep, described how the counselors helped her broader her horizons and apply to a range of colleges, including a summer program at Harvard.

To build team spirit and community, SST schools offer athletics programs, including basketball, cross country, volleyball, and soccer. Clubs at SST main campus include STEM activities like robotics (BEST-FTC-FRC, FLL, and SeaPerch), cybersecurity, Rubik’s Cube, Mathcounts, and solar car, as well as comics, drama, glee club, choir, photography/video, folk dance, and Turkish speech. Community service hours are part of the graduation requirements for high school students. By the time Maddox Thompson was a senior at SST—San Antonio College Prep, he had dedicated more than 200 hours to a service project for Soldiers’ Angels, rallying students across the district to collect treats and messages for veterans.

SST is a partner of Choose to Succeed, a nonprofit organization working to attract the nation’s best public charter schools to San Antonio and help successful schools to grow.

If you like what you have learned so far about the School of Science and Technology, we recommend that you apply for enrollment now. You are also welcome to join the San Antonio Charter Moms discussion group to learn more and interact with current SST families.

School of Science and Technology SST high school students lap pipette

Charter Moms Chats

Watch Maksat Altiyev, Regional Executive Director for San Antonio and Corpus Christi at the School of Science and Technology, and Elizabeth James, Chief Academic Officer at the School of Science and Technology, speak with Inga Cotton on Charter Moms Chats on October 10, 2023 at 4:00 PM Central live on Facebook and YouTube.

Maksat Altiyev is Regional Executive Director for San Antonio and Corpus Christi at the School of Science and Technology. Mr. Altiyev began his journey in education back in 2007 as a technology teacher, and over the years, his passion for education has taken him on a diverse and fulfilling path. Throughout his career, he had the privilege of serving in various educational roles across Texas, from Central Texas to North Texas, and the Rio Grande Valley.

With six years of experience as a principal, he has gained valuable insights into school leadership and administration. In 2021, he embarked on a new chapter as the Regional Executive Director at SST Schools, bringing his expertise to further enhance educational opportunities.

His academic background includes a Bachelor’s of Science in Management/Computer Information Systems from Park University and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from UT Tyler. He is  dedicated to shaping the future of education and making a positive impact on students’ lives.

Elizabeth James is the Chief Academic Officer at the School of Science and Technology. Mrs. James began her career with the School of Science and Technology as a middle school English, language arts, and reading teacher when the first campus, SST San Antonio, opened back in 2005.

In 2014, Mrs. James was nominated and selected as the dean of academics for the SST Alamo campus, and four years later, she became the principal. During her seven years there, SST Alamo received numerous TEA distinctions as well as State and National School of Character designations. In March of 2021, Mrs. James was nominated and selected as the principal of a brand new campus, SST Schertz.

In July 2021, Mrs. James was nominated and selected as the regional director of academics for the San Antonio/Corpus Christi region. In this role, she oversaw academics and special programs for ten campuses in two cities and prioritized providing high quality Tier 1 instruction for all students. In April 2023, Mrs. James was nominated and selected as the acting chief academic officer for SST Public Schools. Mrs. James obtained her bachelor’s degree in English/Communication Arts from St. Mary’s University and her master’s degree in Educational Administration from Texas A&M Commerce. She holds multiple valid Texas certifications to include Principal EC-12.

Read More About the School of Science and Technology (SST) 

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