I created the San Antonio Charter Moms blog as a way to get the word out to parents about new charter schools coming to San Antonio. More than three years later, I am excited to share the news about another high-quality charter school with plans to expand to San Antonio: Legacy Traditional School. This blog post will tell you about their school model, but an even better way to learn would be to attend their parent information meeting on October 22, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. at University Baptist Church, 6465 Babcock Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78249; RSVP at LTSTexas.org.
Legacy Traditional School is a high-performing, Arizona-based charter school network. They have identified northwest San Antonio as the location of their first campus in Texas and are in the process of applying for a Texas charter. Like all open-enrollment charter schools in Texas, Legacy Traditional School North West San Antonio will be a tuition-free public school and will welcome all students, including special education students and English-language learners.
I recently had the opportunity to meet with co-Executive Directors Aaron Hale and William Gregory to talk about the Legacy Traditional School model. The school offers a back-to-basics education for kindergarten through 8th grade. It’s a classical education model, with young scholars wearing uniforms and sitting in rows of desks while following a lesson that covers essential knowledge.
The Legacy Traditional School curriculum uses Spalding Phonics and Saxon Math. My family has experience with Spalding: my daughter is learning phonograms in kindergarten and building strong reading skills; my son practices cursive handwriting daily in third grade. My friends who use Saxon for homeschooling appreciate how the curriculum cycles among different concepts so students have more opportunities to master it.
The patriotism curriculum is one way in which Legacy Traditional School addresses character education. The program presents historical figures and their actions as models for how we should face the challenges in our lives. Students recite the Pledge of Allegiance at a daily, school-wide flag ceremony.
Campus facilities feature traditional architecture but new construction. In hot climates like Arizona and Texas, air-conditioned play spaces with artificial turf are much appreciated. School buildings are equipped to support the music, art, physical education, and sports programs.
In Arizona, Legacy Traditional School is one of the top-performing charter school networks. “Arizona’s School Ratings Improve”, Mary Beth Faller, Arizona Republic, August 4, 2014. The entire school network has earned AdvancED accreditation.
Legacy Traditional School plans to build its first Texas campus in northwest San Antonio What other schools of choice are available in the northwest area? Anne Frank Inspire Academy and BASIS San Antonio Medical Center both have significantly different education models. What other schools in San Antonio are offering classical education? Great Hearts Monte Vista and Great Hearts Northern Oaks are classical education charter schools, but one campus is near downtown and one is north central, and both campuses have long waiting lists. Among local private schools, Geneva School of Boerne offers a Christian classical education.
There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all school, and I am happy to see more types of charter schools available in San Antonio. Legacy Traditional School offers a classical education with a grounding in reading, math, and patriotism, plus strong offerings in arts, music, physical education, and sports. Having more school choices makes our community stronger. Also, more families will be able to follow the advice of Families Empowered and apply to three or more schools, because submitting more applications means a better chance of getting an offer from a high-quality school.
If you can attend the Legacy Traditional School North West San Antonio parent information meeting on October 22, 2015 at 6:00 p.m., then be sure to RSVP online. Even if you can’t attend, you can use that form to join the interest list and stay informed. Also, please like their Facebook page.
