Guide to Enrolling in School of Science and Technology (SST) San Antonio for 2023–24

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Hour of Code at School of Science and Technology Discovery

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, 2022, SST will begin accepting applications for enrollment for the 2023–24 school year, and the lottery will be conducted on January 4, 2023. 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.

Makerspace at School of Science and Technology Northwest

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.

SST School of Science and Technology student with car and trophy

School of Science and Technology Campuses in San Antonio.

In 2023–24, 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 SST—Alamo, SST—San Antonio, and SST—Schertz and the district that includes SST—Discovery, SST—Hill Country, and SST—Northwest earned a A ratings. The list below includes links to each campus’s school report card. 

In addition to the bricks-and-mortar schools, SST Online Academy serves students across Texas in grades 5–6 as a full time online school.

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 2022–23 will began on November 1, 2022 and will continue through January 3, 2023. The lottery will be on January 4, 2023. 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 general FAQ and 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: 

  • SST—Alamo: Call 210-657-6400 or email the campus registrar at czamarripa@ssttx.org.
  • SST—Discovery: Call 210-543-1111 or email the campus registrar at tmello@ssttx.org.
  • SST—Hill Country: Call 210-688-9758 or email the campus registrar at soutlaw@ssttx.org.
  • SST—Northwest: Call 210-688-9990 or email the campus registrar at sthompson@ssttx.org.
  • SST—San Antonio College Prep HS: Call 210-804-0222 or email the campus registrar at bdeluna@ssttx.org.
  • SST—Schertz: Call 210-590-1115 or email the campus registrar at fpryor@ssttx.org.

We also recommend following these SST social media accounts:

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.

In grades from pre-K to third, students build a foundation in reading, writing, and math, as you can see from these activities developed by Anindita Gupta when she was a teacher at SST—Northwest. They learn how to work independently and to express themselves in writing, as demonstrated in this set of activities, also developed by Mrs. Gupta. Students also get an introduction to computer coding through fun activities that feel more like play. In fourth grade, the emphasis on STEM subjects grows.

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, a senior at SST San Antonio, 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. Maddox Thompson, a senior at SST—San Antonio, has dedicated more than 200 hours to a service project for Soldiers’ Angels, rallying students across the district to collect treats and messages for veterans.

An SST education is meant to open doors for students and their families. De Leon, the former principal of SST Northwest, who is now Director of Marketing and Communications at the SST lead office, wrote in a guest post: “Why did I go into the field of education? So that I can help support families who are making a commitment to a better education as a means to a better future. The success of my family shows how a simple, dogged determination to achieve academically can have a tremendous impact, not only on those making the commitment, but to the entire bloodline of those individuals for generations to come.”

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.

SST School of Science and Technology Solar Car

Charter Moms Chats

Watch Abel F. De Leon, Director of Marketing and Communications at School of Science and Technology, speak with Inga Cotton on Charter Moms Chats on November 1, 2022 at 4:00 PM Central live on Facebook and YouTube.

Abel F. De Leon (M.Ed.) has a deep and profound passion for creating better futures for children through excellence in education. Currently, Abel is Director of the SST Online Academy; recently, he worked as Director of Marketing and Communications for SST. Abel has served in grades PK–12 as a teacher, dean of students, dean of academics, and principal. All three School of Science and Technology schools at which Mr. De Leon has served as administrator are A or B rated by the TEA and have a focus on STEM learning as well as character education. His adoration of education has driven him to receive a B.A. (summa cum laude) in psychology with a minor in business from the University of Texas at Austin and a M.Ed. in educational administration (magna cum laude) from Texas A&M University at Commerce. 

Read More About SST San Antonio

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