San Antonio Community Resource Directory
CAST Schools Network (Nonprofit )

The Centers for Applied Science and Technology (CAST Schools) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a network of tuition-free, industry-led, career-themed high schools in San Antonio and one pre-k through 12th Academy. CAST’s innovative school model allows students to learn by doing and gain real-world experience through internship, job shadowing, and mentorship opportunities and is among the first of its kind in the state of Texas.

The CAST Mission is to reinvent schooling to maximize opportunities for students while preparing them for college AND careers.

Our Vision is to create exemplars to address San Antonio’s persistent educational challenges and income inequality across all school districts. 

For more information on the Core Pillars and the CAST Promise, please click here.

What makes CAST different?

  • Each CAST school focuses on a set of high-demand, high-wage industries.
  • Students choose a school based on career interests, setting personal goals, and mastering learning concepts at their own pace.
  • Students tackle real-world projects designed by local employers and work in teams alongside industry mentors.
  • Our schools are intentionally diverse and integrated, and our enrollment practices create schools that reflect the communities we serve.

To find a school, please click here.

Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to subscribe to receive news, stories, and insights from our CAST Schools Network. (Frequency: 3-4 e-newsletters per month)

Hours
Monday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday: CLOSED
Sunday: CLOSED

Jeanne Russell - Executive Director
Content Group: General
Notice

Applications for San Antonio ISD are no longer being accepted on SchoolMint. To apply for the 2024-25 school year, please connect to Avela, SAISD's new application and enrollment platform, at https://apply.avela.org/saisd. Questions? Contact the Enrollment Office at (210) 554-2660 or [email protected]

The Advanced Learning Academy (ALA) at Fox Tech is a 4th - 12th Grade campus in the San Antonio Independent School District.

By using the broader community as its classroom, ALA leads in transforming the education model. Teachers collaborate to create a personalized learning experience for all students and foster a passion for exploration, deep thinking, problem-solving, and creative design. Authentic learning experiences provide all students with cutting-edge learning skills that prepare them for all futures they envision for themselves.

ALA is built around four commitments in service of its bold vision for a transformative educational model:

  • Deep learning
  • Individuality
  • Flexible design
  • Connection

ALA Fox Tech campus is open to students in 4th - 12th Grade. If there are fewer applications than seats available, no lottery is conducted and all students are accepted.  If there are more applications than available seats, a lottery is conducted, offers are made for the number of seats available, and the remaining students are waitlisted.  

ALA employs design thinking as a major pillar of its educational philosophy, which uses empathy to understand the needs of real people and understands that problems seldom have one perfect solution.

ALA offers college prep opportunities like AP and dual-credit courses, and extracurricular programs like newspaper, gardening, and art.

To learn more, sign up here for one of our information sessions. Tour the school and meet the staff and current students. 

Advanced Learning Academy is a Tuition Free, Public School that accepts students from across the Greater San Antonio Region.

Regular Bell Schedule
Kathy Bieser
(210) 738-9763
Updated within the last week

CAST TECH is a partnership school co-created with San Antonio ISD and the CAST Schools Network. Higher education partners include San Antonio College and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

CAST TECH works hand-in-hand with industry partners to prepare students for careers in technology and business, fields where the demand is high for talented workers.

CAST TECH uses computer-based learning to allow students to progress more quickly in areas where they have mastered concepts, allowing them to dive more deeply into projects and areas of great interest. 

Students enrolled in CAST TECH will follow one of three pathways:

  • Business
  • Technology
  • User experience (UX)

CAST Schools are tuition-free and open to students across the greater San Antonio region who are entering 9th or 10th grade. Our small class sizes provide our educators with the opportunity to meet students where they are and co-create a plan for future success.

College coursework is embedded in the program, and students can earn up to two years of college credit, industry certifications, and portfolios that feature long-term projects and other examples of their work.

Students from across Bexar County and surrounding areas may apply. Apply now

CAST TECH is a tuition-free public school that accepts students from across the Greater San Antonio Region.

Hours
Monday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday: CLOSED
Sunday: CLOSED

Regular Bell Schedule
Dr. Melissa Alcala Send email
Jacob Barber Send email
Updated within the last week
Notice

Applications for San Antonio ISD are no longer being accepted on SchoolMint. To apply for the 2024-25 school year, please connect to Avela, SAISD's new application and enrollment platform, at https://apply.avela.org/saisd. Questions? Contact the Enrollment Office at (210) 554-2660 or [email protected]

Advanced Learning Academy (ALA) lifts the ceiling on learning for all members of the educational community. ALA provides 21st-century opportunities within a caring and open community and fosters a depth of thinking, problem-solving, creative design, and real-world applications. Students develop deep content knowledge and cutting-edge learning skills to prepare them for any and all futures they can envision.

The curriculum at ALA relies heavily on Project-Based Learning, which is an approach to education that emphasizes learning through creating. Projects aren’t just replacements for tests, they’re real-world creations that start their development at the very beginning of a new unit of content.  

ALA is built around four commitments in service of its bold vision for a transformative educational model:

  • Deep learning
  • Individuality
  • Flexible design
  • Connection

ALA is open to students in Pre-K to 3rd Grade. If there are fewer applications than seats available, no lottery is conducted and all students are accepted.  If there are more applications than available seats, a lottery is conducted, offers are made for the number of seats available, and the remaining students are waitlisted.  

ALA at Euclid (PK-3) Information Sessions: 
Students and parents are invited to attend an information session after school on select Thursdays from 4:00-5:00 PM. Once you submit this form, your registration for your selected date and time is confirmed. 

As a professional development school for Trinity University, the education faculty at the college help facilitate the curriculum design.

ALA uses the RULER approach to teaching social and emotional learning that was created by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

Advanced Learning Academy is a tuition-free, public school that accepts students from across the Greater San Antonio Region.

Regular Bell Schedule
Kathy Bieser
(210) 738-9760
Updated within the last week

CAST MED was created to add to the pipeline of much-needed doctors and researchers in the San Antonio area. CAST MED builds on San Antonio’s unique strengths and current educational gaps with an emphasis on medicine and biomedical research. UT Health, with its research expertise and growing focus on population health and health disparities, is a key partner in helping design a path for students wishing to improve the health of our community. CAST MED will incorporate a three-way educational partnership between UT Health, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and San Antonio ISD.

Students enrolled in CAST MED will follow one of three pathways:

  • Biomedical Research
  • Medical Professionals
  • Public Health Professionals

Student enrollment is open to students across Bexar County through a lottery system. The application period for the cohort of ninth graders begins each November and ends in late January. Please call the school for updates on enrollment and registration, since they do change.

The intent of CAST Med High School is to provide high school students with a strong foundation, especially in mathematics and science so that they can be successful once they enroll in college and achieve their medical career aspirations. College coursework will be embedded in the classroom curriculum, allowing students to graduate with a high school diploma and a minimum of 30 hours of college coursework.

For more information, please click here.

To apply, click here.

CAST MED is a tuition-free high school open to students across the greater San Antonio region who are entering 9th or 10th grade.

Hours
Monday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday: CLOSED
Sunday: CLOSED

Regular Bell Schedule
Dr. Anthony Khosravi
Victoria Torres
Updated within the last week

CAST TEACH High School is San Antonio’s first school dedicated to careers in education. Created in partnership with Northside ISD located on the campus of John Paul Stevens High School,  the CAST Schools Network, and the University of Texas at San Antonio College of Education and Human Development, the school will rally multiple industries to create future educators that will transform our community. CAST TEACH is a unique experience:

  • Field Experiences - gain authentic learning experiences that matter.
  • Career Exploration - accelerate your pathway to careers. 
  • Elevate Youth Voice and Agency - take ownership of your future by co-creating and joint problem-solving with us.
  • Collaborative Relationships - students will create relationships with transformative leaders in education.

For additional information, please click here.

CAST Teach is a tuition-free, public school open to all Bexar County students and will accept 150 students through a lottery process.

All students will have access to college-based experiences plus transferable college credits at UTSA. Students may earn up to 36 hours of transferable college credit before they leave high school. Students will also have the opportunity to earn industry-recognized certificates such as Child Development Associate of Education Aide I.

Explore multiple careers in education, including teaching and training, early learning, and interdisciplinary learning. Minimize the cost of college and elevate your resume in the workforce. 

To learn more about how to apply for CAST TEACH, click here.

Forms are also available online on the Northside ISD website.

CAST Schools are tuition-free and open to students across the greater San Antonio region who are entering 9th or 10th grade.

Regular Bell Schedule
Ericka Olivarez
Gabriela Aguilar
Updated within the last week

CAST Lead is a career-themed high school of East Central ISD that will connect students to leadership and management positions in the retail, hospitality and tourism, and e-commerce industries. These industries represent some of the fastest-growing and most dynamic in our city, offering students an opportunity to align their passion with industry and higher education leaders committed to their success.

All classes at CAST Lead are project-based and include blended learning which means students learn by doing hands-on activities that are relevant to the real world and personalized to their needs.

For information on East Central Independent School District, please click here.

Like all CAST Schools, CAST Lead will be open to all students on a lottery basis, is tuition-free, and will offer students a chance to learn through project-based learning, mentorships, and internships, as well as earn up to 2 years of college credit, plus the opportunity to earn industry-recognized certificates in addition to work experience.

CAST Lead accepts an incoming class of between 120-150 freshman students. Apply now and join us! Visit castlead.schoolmint.net or email us at [email protected]

CAST Lead is tuition-free and open to students in Bexar and surrounding counties that are entering 9th grade.

Regular Bell Schedule
Ashland Pingue Send email
Erica Jackson Send email
Updated within the last week

CAST STEM High School is a career-themed high school that will prepare students for leadership positions in the STEM field. CAST STEM works hand-in-hand with industry partners to prepare students for careers in engineering, technology, advanced manufacturing, and global logistics. Some features of the unique program include project-based learning to real-world problems to solve, as well as job shadowing, mentorships, internships, and job opportunities upon graduation.

Students have the opportunity to experience a college setting during high school and to work directly with industry mentors set CAST STEM students apart and set their future in motion, no matter where they decide to take it.

CAST STEM High School has been approved as a Common Sense School, an honor that recognizes all efforts in teaching digital citizenship to young people and engaging the entire school community. The recognition acknowledges our school's commitment to helping our students build skills that are essential for their well-being today and for the opportunities they'll have tomorrow.

CAST STEM is currently located within the Southwest Independent School District. Alamo Colleges Board has approved the relocation of CAST STEM High School to Palo Alto College. CAST STEM Juniors and Seniors will relocate starting in January 2024, while 9th and 10th-grade students will start in August 2024 as part of a whole school move.

Like all CAST Schools, CAST STEM will be open to all students on a lottery basis, is tuition-free, and will offer students a chance to learn through project-based learning, mentorships, and internships, as well as earn up to 2 years of college credit, plus the opportunity to earn industry-recognized certificates in addition to work experience.

CAST STEM accepts an incoming class of between 120-150 freshman students. Apply now and join us! Click here for the enrollment packet.

CAST STEM is tuition-free and open to students in Bexar and
surrounding counties that are entering 9th grade.

Regular Bell Schedule
Jacqueline Rodriguez Send email
Dr. Mario Duran Send email
Updated within the last week