San Marcos Academy and The Master’s School of San Marcos will unite their programs on SMA campus beginning in the Fall of 2019, representatives of both schools announced Nov. 1.
The Master’s School will continue to hold classes for kindergarten through sixth grade on their Centerpoint Road campus through the end of this school year. Families at the 26-year old Christian school will then be invited to enroll their children at the Academy, which now offers grades K-12, in the Fall of 2019.
“San Marcos Academy and the Master’s School have unique histories and identities, but we have chosen to unite together to create a new legacy under one roof, maximizing the opportunity and potential to educate students in a nurturing, Christ-centered environment,” said Dr. Brian Guenther, President of the Academy and former Head of School at The Master’s School.
Kathryn Powell, a member of the Board of Directors for the Master’s School, said “This is an exciting time for SMA, The Master’s School, and our community. By uniting our two schools, together we have the ability to serve more students in an academically-advanced, Christ-centered education that is both needed and sought after in our community.”
Transition Committee Making Plans
A transition committee, comprised of representatives from both schools, has held preliminary planning sessions and will continue to meet over the coming months. Parents and staffs of both schools learned of the unification plan on Oct. 30.
“Our intention at the Academy is to enrich and enhance our own program by incorporating into it the best practices and some of the cherished traditions from The Master’s School,” Dr. Guenther said. “As this process develops, we will communicate with all of our stakeholders through emails and postings on our respective websites. Families from The Master’s School will be invited to visit our campus and tour our facilities over the coming weeks and months, and our sincere desire is that they will choose to enroll their children at the Academy next fall.”
History of The Master’s School and San Marcos Academy in TX
Mrs. Beth LeDoux founded The Master’s School of San Marcos in 1993 as a Christian educational alternative for students in Texas, offering a classically modeled, academically advanced curriculum for elementary and middle school grades. The Master’s School is fully accredited by the Texas Education Agency through the Accreditation Commission of the Texas Association of Baptist Schools. The school is also a member of Association of Christian Schools International.
SMA was founded in 1907 as a coeducational, Christian school for boarding and day students. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and by the Accreditation Commission of the Texas Association of Baptist Schools and is approved by the Texas Education Agency. In its early history, the Academy offered a program for elementary through upper school grades and even provided a post-graduation or “thirteenth” year at one time. From 1982 on, the school focused on middle and upper school grades only, but two years ago, the Academy added a fourth and fifth grade. This year, the Academy expanded its Lower School program to include kindergarten through fifth grades.
Over the years, a number of students from The Master’s School have transferred to and graduated from SMA after completing their course of study at TMS.
“As Christian educators, we believe in the importance of providing Christ-centered schools as an option for parents,” said Dr. Clay Sullivan, Board Chair at San Marcos Academy. “No school is perfect, but we trust that by unifying with The Master’s School, God will grow our strengths, help us address our weaknesses, and lead us forward in His power and wisdom.”
SMA is currently accepting applications for grades K-12 for the Spring of 2019 as well as for the 2019-20 school year. Contact the SMA Admissions Office at 512-753-8000 for more information.