Legacy Traditional Academy will open its doors for its inaugural year on Monday, August, 8 with nearly 600 new students and 45 new faculty and staff. The K-8 tuition free public charter school, is one of three new schools constructed by the Legacy Traditional School District for the 2011-12 school year. Kristen Smith, a highly qualified principal, has been selected to lead the school in its first year.
The district has a strong track record. In only three years of being open, its Maricopa campus earned the Arizona Department of Education honor of being titled “Highly Performing” in 2010 as their test scores soared. AIMS scores on average were 25 points higher at all three campuses in comparison with all Arizona schools.
It was just announced that all of Legacy Traditional School’s existing campuses, located in Maricopa, Casa Grande, and Queen Creek, surpassed the federal requirements for Adequate Yearly Progress, AYP, in 2011. With schools in the west valley struggling to measure up to the AYP standards, it will be beneficial for area parents to have a quality choice in education.
“The strengths our students demonstrate, both academically and socially, are a direct result of our high expectations and consistency across the boards,” Bill Gregory, Legacy Traditional Schools co-founder said. “We are very proud of all the students. We can’t wait to offer those same opportunities to more families at our new locations.”
The new back-to-basics charter school is located near the corner of El Mirage and Van Buren. Administrators said that they are anticipating that the school will be filled to capacity within its first year. The multi-million dollar campus will be completed with the majority of the construction done just in time for students to arrive. Several finishing touches will be made during the summer including the completion of the gym and landscaping.
Smith, the school’s principal, has served as a principal for three years and has demonstrated her commitment to excellence with increased student achievement scores, attendance rates, and parental involvement.
“As a long-term resident of the West Valley, I am thrilled to now invest myself in the growth of our children and community,” Smith said. “I am so excited to be a part of this exceptional team of educators at Legacy Traditional School – Avondale. My utmost responsibility is to promote Legacy’s high expectations for student achievement and character development by supporting our students, parents, and our community. I am committed to fostering a positive school environment, where our students are safe, physically and emotionally, and love to come every day to learn and excel. Our students thrive with the combination of our caring and dedicated staff, back-to-basics curriculum, a focus on character development, and enrichment opportunities.”
As part of the Legacy mission and philosophy, she said she firmly believes that the partnership between parents and the school is central to our students’ continued success. Smith believes Legacy teachers and staff are passionate and committed to helping students reach their highest potential.
Legacy Traditional Academy will be offering a proven, well rounded model that parents can trust because of its effectiveness.
- A Proven Academic Model
- Legacy students score 25 points higher on average than their peers across the state on AIMS scores
- Accelerated Pace of Study
- Students are Performing a Year Ahead Back-to-Basic Curriculum
- Focusing on Mastery in Reading, Writing, and Math
- Complete Curriculum including Social Studies, Science, P.E., Music, Computers and Art for all grade levels
- Highly Trained Teachers Who Care About Each Child
- High Expectations for Both Academic Achievement and Behavior
- A Focus on Patriotism and Character Building
- State-of-the-Art Facilities
- After School Athletic Programs and Clubs
- A Safe, Structured, and Enjoyable Environment for Exceptional Learning
- Well Rounded Educational Opportunity
Legacy Traditional Schools were founded in 2006, with the first campus in Maricopa, and then additional campuses were added in Casa Grande and Queen Creek. Now over $27,000,000 has been invested to expand to three new state-of-the-art campuses in Chandler, Avondale, and Northwest Tucson. Legacy Traditional Schools currently has nearly 4,500 students enrolled at six campuses and is one of the largest charter school districts in Arizona.
Open enrollment is currently taking place but space is limited. There are a select number of openings available for the 2011-2012 school year. To find more information call 1-888-LTS-1776, find us on Facebook or visit www.LegacyTraditional.org.