Why was your school district founded?
Our District launched in 1998 in San Antonio with a founding vision of shaping our students into the future leaders of the community, we operate local schools that serve children grades Kindergarten through High School. Where other schools focus on college preparation New Frontier students are college students – many of them entering college in high school.
What makes your schools unique?
Each of our students – from Kindergarten on – are on a collegiate pathway. Through their partnership with Palo Alto College, the Frank L. Madla Early College High School offers a college immersion program where students are embedded in college courses with other college students. Our students will graduate with a Distinguished High School Diploma and an Associate’s Degree.
Is there a cost to attend your schools?
Our schools are tuition-free, public charter schools. We operate at no cost to families. Students enrolled in our Early College High School also attend without cost – in fact in the past three semesters, they have earned over 2659 college credit hours which has saved their families $300,000 in college expenses.
What are some of the ways your schools work to prepare your student’s to enter college at such an early age?
We are currently employing a variety of innovative approaches to ensure are students are academically prepared to enter college at high school. Our teachers are certified in coding and will embed this academic theme in every content area. We are also in a partnership with the Digital Learning Department at Region 20 Service Center to integrate technology in the classroom and are excited to begin offering robotics, engineering and design opportunities.
Does your School District accept all students or do they only accept those with excellent academic records?
We operate open enrollment, public charter schools and as such we accept all students where we have availability. If we reach capacity, we are mandated to employ a public lottery for additional admissions. Our applications do include a request for academic information so that we are able to ‘triage’ a student’s needs and build a prescriptive, individualized educational plan. A student’s academic record would not preclude them from attending any of our schools.
How are your schools funded?
Our schools are primarily funded by federal and state appropriations. However, public charter schools receive on average $1,000 less funding per student than traditional public schools. For NFPS District that gap amounts to $701,000 each year. Under the state’s school funding formula, public charter schools do not receive any form of facilities funding or any credit enhancement for facilities, the latter of which results in a significantly higher interest rate for financing charter schools facilities. As a consequence, districts like ours must seek investments from the philanthropic community so that our schools continue to grow and meet the needs of our students.
How can students apply to attend your schools?
Families interested in placing their students on a pathway to and through college – should visit our website at newfrontierspublicschools.org, find us on social media or call us at (210) 533-3655 for information on how they can apply to attend our schools. Although we do employ a waitlist for grades where we are at capacity there remain some opportunities for additional families to be served by our district. Additionally, we are open-enrollment schools which means we serve students in our primary boundary of Bexar County once that area is served we can serve our secondary boundary which includes Floresville, Divine and the surrounding areas. Since we are open enrollment we accept student applications all year round.
How many schools are operated by New Frontiers Public Schools?
New Frontiers Public Schools currently operates Frank L. Madla Accelerated Collegiate Academy – a K-8th grade campus and the Frank L. Madla Early College High School.
What is a charter school?
Charter Schools are free, public schools that have the flexibility to adapt to the educational needs of individual students. Charter schools vary in mission and model, serving a wide range of students, many with needs beyond the one-size-fits-all traditional public school. Although charter schools have some autonomy, they still must meet the rigorous academic standards dictated by the State for all public schools. Learn more..
What is Early College High School?
Frank L. Madla ECHS is New Frontiers Public Schools high school. It is located on the campus of Palo Alto College and is built on a commitment
- Rigorous academic programs
- College-go
ing culture committed to excellence - Safe and student friendly environment
- Personalized academic counseling
- Equipping students with the self-confidence and skills they need to thrive in the 21st-century economy
Frank L. Madla ECHS students have the opportunity to earn an Associate’s Degree (60 credits) from Palo Alto College, while earning their High School Distinguished Diploma at no cost.
What grades does your district serve?
New Frontiers Public Schools District has two (2) public charter campuses that are free of charge. The K-8th grade operation – the Frank L. Madla Accelerated Collegiate Academy is located on our main campus, and the Frank L. Madla Early College High School is located at Palo Alto College for students in grades 9-12. They earn an Associate’s Degree while earning a High School Distinguished Diploma at no cost.
Are your schools private or public? Do they have the same level of oversight as traditional public schools?
Our schools are free, public charter schools that are subject to almost all of the same state regulations and oversight that applies to every other public school. Our students are subject to all of the same state-testing, and their schools are rated under the same accountability system as traditional public schools.