Staff Report
BUDA — An upcoming STEM-focused (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) public charter school in Buda celebrated its “Founders Day” alongside community members and tennis champion Andre Agassi on March 4.
The school, Doral Academy of Texas, is part of the nationally acclaimed Doral Academy, Inc. network of charter schools, a system of high-quality K-12 public charter schools. This is the network’s first Texas school.
The school is an investment of the Turner-Agassi Education Facilities Fund, a mission-driven social impact investment fund managed by Turner Impact Capital that accelerates the growth of high-performing charter schools. Agassi is a co-managing partner.
Doral Academy will provide tuition-free education to students from the Hays, San Marcos, Wimberley and Lockhart independent school districts. The two-story, 58,000 square-foot facility will initially serve 590 students from pre-K through sixth grade but is expected to expand through to 12th grade at its maturity.
The school will feature 50 classrooms, a STEM lab, state-of-the-art educational technology, and flexible classroom designs. On-campus sports enrichment will also be available for students at all grade levels.
“Doral Academy aims to be a key strategic partner for our booming ‘Innovation Corridor,’ growing our region’s next generation of tech, engineering and science professionals,” said Krista Piferrer, Chair of Doral Academy’s local Board of Directors.
Participants and attendees capped off the Founders Day event by signing a large steel beam, which will become a permanent part of the campus and a time capsule-type marker of the students, families and community members who were part of the school’s beginnings.
“We are extremely excited to be opening the doors of this beautiful facility in just a few months to provide a rigorous and relevant STEM curriculum to the students of Buda and many nearby communities,” said Jennifer M. DeSousa, Superintendent and Principal of Doral Academy. “Today’s event helped generate positive momentum toward our opening and helped spread the word to families that this exceptional academic option is available to local students.”
Doral Academy is currently being developed at 1333 Firecracker Drive and is slated to open in August 2022. Open-enrollment applications are available now for entering students at www.doralacademytx.com. Application and enrollment are free, though subject to waitlist availability.
