(May 5) -- The U.S. News & World Report ranked Gateway College Prep School among the top 100 high schools in Texas for 2019.
This year’s rankings again recognized many open-enrollment charter schools in Texas. In addition to the national list, US News also puts out a Top 100 Texas Public High Schools. Public charter schools took 35 of the Top 100 spots! A great accomplishment when you consider that we only make up 6 percent of public schools in Texas.
In determining its rankings, U.S. News and World Report considers many factors, including college readiness, math and reading proficiency, math and reading performance, under-served student performance, college curriculum breadth, and graduation rates.
Open-enrollment public charter schools continue to make great progress in preparing Texas students for life. The Texas Charter Schools Association is incredibly proud of the 35 public charter schools that have earned their spot in the Top 100 Public High Schools in the Lone Star State.
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Dec. 11, 2018 — BenQ, an internationally renowned provider of visual display solutions, today announced that New Horizons School, part of the Orenda Education Charter School District in Texas, successfully installed BenQ’s short-throw interactive projectors in its classrooms. BenQ’s interactive short-throw education projectors are transforming the classroom, enhancing learning with multitouch interactivity and outstanding picture quality and brightness.
“There’s so much opportunity to do more with our students,” said Shelley Williams, New Horizons’ principal. “These projectors are helping to create a sense of belonging, independence and mastery in the classroom. We’re seeing more engagement, which encouraged more attendance. And for the first time ever, our students are passing assessment testing and are on the pathway to academic success.”
Oct. 24-26 -- The annual TCSA conference was held in Houston with more than 1,600 attendees, including Orenda Education officials and campus leaders. Dr. Tim Elmore was the keynote speaker. He is founder and president of Growing Leaders, a non-profit organization that specializes in developing leaders.
Orenda Charter School District, with its five total campuses in Central Texas, received an “A” rating in overall performance by the Texas Education Agency’s new “A-F” grading system initiated this year.
Locally, Gateway College Prep School, a K-12 school campus serving more than 1,300 students, earned a “Met Standard” rating while earning six out of seven “distinctions.” The school earned an overall score of 95. Gateway Tech High School, also operating in Georgetown, offers a daily, 4-hour blended learning academic program for grades 9-12 only. That school earned a “Met Alternative Standard” with an overall score of 92.
Gateway Prep is currently undergoing an $18.5 million construction project that will include a combined Elementary/Middle School Learning Center with new science labs and collaborative learning space, and a 19,000-square foot Main Gymnasium along with a courtyard connecting all buildings. The project is expected to be completed by January. The school is entering its 10th year of operation.
Tommy Turner, Orenda Education Community Relations Director, has announced his retirement effective the end of this school year. Tommy, who spent the majority of his career in the healthcare and education marketing/public relations field, is completing his 10th year of employment with Orenda as its chief public relations officer. He also oversaw the organization’s fundraising program for eight of the 10 years that he worked in the district office.
