Guide to Enrolling in Royal Public Schools in San Antonio for 2024–25

September 14, 2023

Share this page

Royal Public Schools is a charter school on the Southside of San Antonio that offers a STREAMS-360 learning model, a whole-child approach to education that integrates Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, Math, and Social-Emotional Learning through project-based learning. On October 1, 2023, Royal Public Schools will begin accepting applications for enrollment for grades K–9 for the 2024–25 school year. Also, you can still apply for enrollment for the current school year. We have put together a guide to help you learn more about Royal Public Schools in San Antonio and take steps to enroll your child.

About Royal Public Schools

Royal Public Schools opened in August 2021 with one campus, Royal Academy of Excellence. The first campus is serving students in grades K–8 in 2023–24. The growth plan includes expansion to a cluster of schools serving grades K–12.

Royal Public Schools uses STREAMS-360, a next generation learning model that enables students to achieve at the highest levels. The founder and CEO, Dr. Soner Tarim, is also the founder and former CEO of Harmony Public Schools, which is renowned for its STEM education model. “STEM alone is not enough,” said Tarim. “Students also need social and emotional support.” STREAMS-360 will go further, integrating science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, math, and social emotional learning.

Based on decades of experience, the leaders at Royal Public Schools have identified their areas of focus: rigorous curriculum and instruction; assessment and academic progress monitoring; addressing the needs of special populations; highly effective teacher development; social and emotional learning; college, career and military readiness; extracurricular activities and enrichment; parent engagement, and classroom management through clear protocols and procedures. “The model is designed to be holistic, and to educate the whole child,” said Tarim. “It’s meant to prepare students for college, career, and life.”

The STREAMS-360 model also supports students with social emotional learning through project-based learning. The projects involve complex, real world problems, and help students develop social awareness as they work in teams and make presentations. Projects are an effective way to keep students engaged while building a deep reservoir of content knowledge.

The Royal Block is a special time that is set aside every day for enrichment or intervention. Teachers work with students in small groups to close gaps and provide personalized learning in both English language arts and math. The Royal Block is one of several academic strategies, combined with a school culture focused on mutual respect, kindness, high expectations, and leadership presence, that are designed to bring high levels of achievement to a historically low-income area on the Southside of San Antonio, where many school campuses are currently low performing.

To learn more about Royal Public Schools 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 families with children who attend Royal Public Schools who can comment with answers based on their own experiences.

Royal Public Schools blacklight art exhibit

Schools in San Antonio

There is currently one Royal Public Schools campus in San Antonio, called Royal Academy of Excellence, located at 4018 S. Presa St., San Antonio, TX 78223 (map). The campus will serve grades K–9 in 2024–25, expanding to K–12. The main phone number is 210-531-0300. The district report card and campus report card do not have any ratings because in 2021–22 the school had no students old enough to take state standardized tests.

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

Enroll at Royal Public Schools

Families can apply online to enroll at Royal Public Schools in San Antonio. On October 1, 2023, Royal Public Schools will begin accepting applications for enrollment for grades K–9 for the 2024–25 school year. Open enrollment will end on March 15, 2024. Students who are selected in the random lottery will receive offers of enrollment, while other students will be places on waiting lists.

During application season, there will be opportunities for families to learn more about Royal Public Schools. School tours are available by contacting the school. Families can get more information, or ask for help with their enrollment applications, by emailing info@royaltx.org, calling 210-531-0300, reaching out through the website, or visiting the main office located on the corner of Fair Avenue and South Presa. We recommend that you follow these Royal Public Schools social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

In addition, please join the San Antonio Charter Moms discussion group on Facebook to post questions and get feedback from current Royal Public Schools families.

Royal Academy of Excellence entrance Royal Public Schools

Facts About Royal Public Schools

The STREAMS-360 model is designed to lift up students from all backgrounds. The school model adapts to accommodate students entering with challenges—including special needs, low English language proficiency, and lack of academic preparation—by identifying gaps and closing them quickly. Social emotional learning is built into the curriculum and will support students with techniques to manage the stresses of poverty.

The board of Royal Public Schools is “high octane—diverse and committed,” said Tarim, and includes several members with strong ties to the Southside of San Antonio. Board member Dr. Abelardo Saavedra is the former superintendent of South San Antonio ISD, among other districts. Cariño Cortez, chef and project manager at La Familia Cortez Restaurants, also serves as a board member.

Tarim was a Broad Academy Fellow in 2019–20 and a Pahara-Aspen Fellow in spring 2017.

Royal Public Schools 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 Royal Public Schools in San Antonio, 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 other families who are researching school options.

Charter Moms Chats

Watch Soner Tarim, Founder and CEO of Royal Public Schools, and Gabby Patton, Principal of Royal Public Schools, speak with Inga Cotton on Charter Moms Chats on September 14, 2023 at 4:00 PM Central live on Facebook and YouTube.

Soner Tarim is the Founder and CEO of Royal Public Schools. He is also the founder and former CEO of Harmony Public Schools and has been an educational advocate for underserved communities for more than 30 years. He was the first principal at Harmony Houston, serving 200 students. Under his leadership, Harmony grew to serve nearly 34,000 students at 54 campuses throughout Texas. He has decades of experience in developing innovative educational programs for K–12 schools for the Harmony group of schools, including nationally-recognized STEM programs. Under his leadership, Harmony earned the reputation as one of the best charter school organizations in the country (Broad Prize Finalist 2017). Many Harmony campuses have been recognized as top schools in the United States. Dr. Tarim received the Charter School Leader of the Year Award at the annual charter school conference in October 2017. He completed a fellowship with Broad Academy, an organization that brings together passionate and renowned leaders who are dedicated to transforming school systems so that every student receives a world-class public education. He has also completed a yearlong Pahara-Aspen Institute Education Fellowship. Dr. Tarim holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University.

Gabby Patton is the K–8 Principal at Royal Public Schools. She has over 11 years of experience in charter school education and instruction. Having previously served on the South Side of San Antonio and worked at IDEA Public Schools and Compass Rose Public Schools, Ms. Patton brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Royal Public Schools family. She earned her master’s degree in education from Johns Hopkins University, making her the perfect fit for the institution’s commitment to excellence.

Watch Gabby Patton, Principal of Royal Public Schools, speak with Inga Cotton on Charter Moms Chats on August 10, 2023 at 4:00 PM Central live on Facebook and YouTube.