Founders Classical Academy of Schertz offers students a classical liberal arts education with a grounding in United States history, character education, and fine arts. This Founders Classical Academy campus is located on the Northeast Side of the San Antonio metro area, and is part of a larger network of tuition-free public schools offering a distinctive classical education. We have put together a guide to help you learn more about Founders Classical Academy of Schertz and take steps to enroll your children.
About Founders Classical Academy of Schertz
Classical education part of a long tradition that emphasizes the seeking of truth, goodness, and beauty, focusing on the study of the liberal arts and sciences and reading the great books. The Founders Classical Academy network is under the umbrella of ReponsiveEd, a charter management organization that operates many types of charter schools to meet the needs of families across Texas.
The Founders Classical Academies model uses a classical approach to educate students in the liberal arts and sciences. The network has a set of commitments on matters such as offering a knowledge-rich curriculum, leading students to read classic works of history and literature, and appreciating math and science for their beauty—not just their utility.
The curriculum is built around stories of heroes who go through trials. As students learn about historical figures and literary characters who faced those trials with courage, they are inspired to adopt those values in their own lives.
The curriculum also prioritizes teaching civics and American history. All students in grades K–5 study American history for at least part of the year. “Founders” in the name of the school refers to the group of leaders who formed the United States on a set of principles about democracy and freedom.
The campus has substantial open space, some of which is in the flood plain for a nearby creek, but is used for extracurriculars and outdoor learning. When the campus opened as Founders in 2016, it served grades K–7. The school has been adding another grade level every year, and in the current school year (2021–22) it will graduate its first group of seniors.
The Founders Classical Academy model started in 2012 with a campus in Lewisville, Texas, and now has schools across Texas and Arkansas. The ResponsiveEd charter management organization, which was founded in 1998, also operates dropout recovery and prevention schools, including two in San Antonio: Premier High School San Antonio West and Premier High School San Antonio East. ResponsiveEd also operates a unique charter school, the Foundation School of Autism, that provides early intervention special education services for children with autism in grades PK3–1.
All Founders Classical Academy campuses are open enrollment public charter schools, which means they don’t charge tuition, there are no selective admission requirements (unlike magnet schools), and they are open to all students—including special education, 504 plans, and English language learners. The enrollment area for Founders Classical Academy of Schertz—and all ResponsiveEd classical academies —covers the entire state of Texas.
Founders Classical Academy in the Greater San Antonio Area
Founders Classical Academy of Schertz opened in 2016 on the site of a now-closed charter school, and has grown to serves students in grades K–12. The Founders Schertz campus is located at 8453 E FM 1518 North, Schertz, TX 78154 (map). The main phone number is 210-510-2618, and they have a contact form on their website.
In 2019, on the school’s most recent report card, from 2019, they earned a B accountability rating. In 2019, as a district, ResponsiveEd earned a grade of B, as you can see on the district report card.
Download the free San Antonio Charter Schools app for an interactive map that includes the Founders Classical Academy of Schertz campus and many more. You can also find campus information about Founders Schertz (and many other schools of choice) in our Guide to Charter Schools in San Antonio.
Enroll at Founders Schertz
Families can apply online to enroll their children at Founders Classical Academy of Schertz. Open enrollment for the 2022–23 school year began on November 1, 2021, and continues through February 4, 2022.
Prospective families can sign up for a campus tour. Here is brief, virtual look into the lives of Founders Schertz students:
We also recommend that you follow these social media accounts:
- Founders Classical Academy of Schertz on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
- Hoplite Council of Founders Classical Academy of Schertz on Facebook and Instagram
- Founders Classical Academies on Facebook
- ResponsiveEd on Facebook, Instagram, 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 Founders Classical Academy of Schertz and the benefits of a classical education model.
Facts About Founders Classical Academy of Schertz
The students move quietly through the hallways, walking in line. In class, the elementary students sit in rows and focus on the teacher’s instruction. On a school tour in 2019, we observed a third grade math lesson, based on Math in Focus, a version of Singapore Math adapted for the United States. Students worked on word problems about grouping, moving from concrete pictures to more abstract notation. The teacher used a document camera to display her work.
English language arts lessons include a heavy dose of phonics. Students learn cursive handwriting in second grade. For one teacher to manage a class of that size requires skillful classroom management, but the educators we saw were able to hold the students’ attention through energetic presentations and no wasted time.
On our tour, we also visited a sciences curriculum lesson. Students were being asked to classify animals based on their characteristics. The lesson made students stretch their minds by suggesting features like scales, feathers, etc. The teacher waited until the students provided the answers—not stepping in to rescue them, but showing respect for their abilities by letting them be the heroes and meet the challenge.
In every classroom, a set of nine frames displays images representing the virtues that are woven into the curriculum. The graphics might come from classic storybooks, portraits of historical figures, or great works of art, depending on the teacher’s discretion. Each section has a lead teacher and each grade level has an aide who assists the lead teachers.
Students in grades K–5 have recess twice a day; older students still have one recess period daily. In many grades, the students have PE every day.
Founders Classical Academy of Schertz offers a variety of extracurricular activities, including athletics and clubs. In sports, the flag football, girls volleyball, softball, and girls basketball teams have been especially successful. The mascot is the Hoplite, a citizen-soldier of Ancient Greek city-states, armed with spear and shield—the hoplon. To express school spirit, students will chant “shields up,” representing soldiers standing together in a phalanx. The school colors are navy blue and yellow. The very active parent organization is known as the Hoplite Council.
House flags
Upper School students are organized in a house system based on Ancient Greek city states. Younger siblings know that they will be assigned to the same house, which keeps current families together. They also participate in student government, using it as an opportunity to apply what they have learned about American government and federalism in becoming virtuous citizens.
Founders Classical Academy of Schertz offers students a free public education in the classical, traditional liberal arts. We hope this guide helps families determine whether Founders Schertz, with its focus on teaching U.S. History and offering a wide range of sports and activities, would be a good fit for their children.
Charter Moms Chats
Watch Kelly Hunt, Secondary School Assistant Headmaster at Founders Classical Academy of Schertz, and Dawn Willitt, Grammar School Assistant Headmaster at Founders Classical Academy of Schertz, speak with Inga Cotton on Charter Moms Chats on January 20, 2022 at 4:00 PM Central live on Facebook and YouTube.
Kelly Hunt is an Assistant Headmaster of Founders Classical Academy of Schertz who oversees grades 6-12. Mrs. Hunt began her career as an ocean engineer, ultimately leaving the industry to pursue her passion for education. She spent four years teaching a broad range of middle and high school mathematics and science courses at private Christian schools before joining Founders in 2016 as a secondary school teacher. Four years later, Mrs. Hunt assumed the role of Dean of Students and then Assistant Headmaster. During the course of her tenure at Founders, she earned her Masters degree in Mathematics. Mrs. Hunt has combined her passion for academics and athletics by mentoring students as a soccer coach, teaching dual credit courses, and working to promote a healthy student culture through enriching events and activities centered around the virtues promoted by the mission of Founders. Kelly is the proud wife of Andrew and the mother of three children and Founders students ranging from fifth to twelfth grade.
Dawn Willitt is an Assistant Headmaster of Founders Classical Academy of Schertz, whose current portfolio includes curriculum and discipline oversight of grades K-5. Beginning with reading intervention for elementary students over 15 years ago, Mrs. Willitt has dedicated her professional and personal volunteer life to the development of children with a particular focus on elementary education. After an important, intervening professional pause for motherhood, Mrs. Willitt resumed her passion for education at Founders since 2017, where she first served in the office before earning a coveted position as a full-time educator, and eventually became an Assistant Headmaster. Today she works alongside 18 classroom educators to instill the virtues that our Founding Fathers held dear. Dawn is the proud wife of Wesley and mother of three boys and Founders students, grades kindergarten through fifth grade.
Watch Oscar Ortiz, Headmaster at Founders Classical Academy of Schertz, speak with Inga Cotton on Charter Moms Chats on December 1, 2020 at 4:00 PM Central live on Facebook and YouTube.
Oscar Ortiz is the Headmaster at Founders Classical Academy of Schertz. He has experience teaching in a classical education model at schools in San Antonio, North Texas, and Phoenix. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Dallas, and he has a masters in liberal arts from St. John’s College.
Read More About Founders Classical Academy of Schertz
- “‘We just needed a school to see the potential’: Founders Classical Academy to open campus in Bastrop this fall,” Andy Sevilla, Austin American-Statesman, July 20, 2021
- “Thousands Of San Antonio Students Return To The Classroom For The First Time Since March,” Camille Phillips, Texas Public Radio, September 7, 2020
- “U.S. Secretary of Education Visits Classical Charter School,” Emily Stack Davis, Hillsdale College, February 4, 2020
- “Betsy Devos makes stop in Schertz, Texas as part of her nationwide tour,” News 4 San Antonio, February 3, 2020
- “Salutes to veterans in San Antonio to include parade, Fort Sam ceremony,” Sig Christiansen, San Antonio Express-News, November 7, 2019
- “Local sixth-grader selected to train at FC Barcelona facilities,” Jessica Hunt, KSAT 12, September 23, 2019
- “What’s Up South Texas! 2nd grade author inspires others to keep reading alive,” Japhanie Gray, KSAT 12, May 5, 2019
- “Charters 101: Being a Charter School Parent Advocate—Founders Schertz Edition,” Inga Cotton, San Antonio Charter Moms, March 5, 2018
- “Founders Classical Academy Schertz parent interest meetings on November 17 and 19,” Inga Cotton, San Antonio Charter Moms, November 17, 2015
- “Back to Basics,” John J. Miller, National Review, October 19, 2015
