Our K-12 schools are tuition-free public charter schools, which means that they are fully accredited and are funded by taxpayer dollars so there is no tuition.
There may be school expenses for field trips, extra-curricular activities, after-school care, or other academic resources, and financial aid is available to qualifying families.
In our full-day kindergarten program, students take all of their core classes, (Math, Language & Literacy, Civics/History/Science) plus a daily Movement class. Students also study Music, Art, Drama, Engineering, and Mandarin, as well as participate in a project-based block called Kindergarten Enrichment. Our full-day kindergarten program includes a lunch break and snack breaks throughout the day, as well as three recess blocks.
There is no tuition for full-day kindergarten in Texas. Please contact your BASIS Texas Charter School for specific information.
Each class has a Kindergarten Expert Teacher and a Kindergarten Teaching Fellow, who work collaboratively to co-teach all the core subjects, as well as Kindergarten Enrichment. Students in our full-day program also meet with Subject Expert Teachers (SETs) for elective courses.
A typical class has 30–32 students, with two teachers in grades K–3 and one teacher per subject in grades 4–12. However, student to teacher ratios fluctuate by grade level.
At every grade level, our student’s complete homework to reinforce concepts taught during the school day and to establish good time management, organizational skills, and self-advocacy. Homework volume differs by grade level and by the student. A typical BASIS Charter School student should expect the following homework:
Kindergarten- about 30 minutes
Grades 1- 2: 35–40 minutes in grades
Grades 3–4: 40-60 minutes
Grades 5–7: 60-90 minutes
Grades 8 and up: up to 3 hours
BASIS Charter Schools offer extracurricular activities that enrich students’ academic experience. We do our best to align extracurricular activities to serve our students’ interests. As a result, extracurricular activities may not be identical at every BASIS Charter School. However, each BASIS Charter School campus offers an array of clubs and extracurricular activities, such as Music, Art, Dance, Orchestra/Band, Basketball, Soccer, Tennis, Minecraft, Coding, and Chess – just to name a few! Our middle and high schools typically participate in charter association sports leagues, so students in our sports programs have the opportunity to test their skills against other schools inside and outside of our network. For more information, visit your BASIS Charter School website or join a school tour.
In grades 1–3, we have a co-teaching model. A different Subject Expert Teacher (SET), who has a background or content expertise in their discipline, teaches each core course. This individual also has a passion for their subject, which allows them to convey the content in an exciting way. The Learning Expert Teacher (LET) is assigned to a specific class of students and provides consistency throughout the day, co-teaching with each SET and drawing meaningful connections between the subjects our students are exploring. SETs typically see students for one class period per day, while LETs are with the same group of students for every period, every day. This co-teaching model allows our teachers to differentiate learning and meet our students’ needs by lowering the student-teacher ratio.
Our teachers hold bachelor’s degrees, at minimum, and many have a master’s degree or PhD in the subject they teach. New BASIS Charter School teachers are required to attend the Summer Institute. Here, they learn about our curriculum and systems, and they review classroom management techniques used throughout our network. Then, each year, (during the summer and during the school year) they participate in additional training and workshops to further hone their skills.
We partner with the best Universities and colleges to recruit top talent for teaching roles. We offer competitive pay, and excellent benefit packages for our teachers.
In accordance of Texas Education Agency, not all of our teachers must be certified. All teachers and teaching fellows have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, and often up to a PhD. All of our Special Education and services are certified teachers.
Student to teacher ratios fluctuate by grade level.
Visit Apply Now to review enrollment policies and to submit an application.
All applications must be submitted through the online enrollment portal at enrollbasistx.com/apply-now. Applicants who are offered enrollment at a BASIS Texas Charter School will be provided with instructions for accepting the offer, as well as printing and signing the registration packet.
If the number of applicants during Open Enrollment exceeds the number of openings, (at any grade level) enrollment is determined by a lottery and waitlist. The Open Enrollment period for BASIS Texas Charter Schools is NOT first come, first served, and only applications submitted during the Open Enrollment period are included in the lottery. Lottery drawings are held after the Open Enrollment period has ended, and you will receive the results directly from the school(s) you applied to. The exact Open Enrollment period and lottery dates are determined on a year-to-year basis.
Yes, we continue accepting applications after Open Enrollment ends. However, only applications submitted during the Open Enrollment period are included in the lottery. Applications submitted after the Open Enrollment period has ended will be processed on a first come, first-served basis, following applications received during the Open Enrollment period. If a waitlist exists for the particular campus/grade, the applicant will be placed on the waitlist according to the time and date of their submission, after applications included in the lottery.
If a student receives an enrollment offer, then the sibling(s) of that student will be granted sibling priority once the registration packet for the admitted student is submitted to the school. This priority does not guarantee a seat, but it does improve the sibling’s placement on the waitlist and increases the chance of receiving an enrollment offer. We understand that managing multiple schedules and schools in a household can be challenging, therefore this part of our enrollment policy is intended to help families ensure that their students can attend the same school, if they choose.
Be sure to add siblings to each other’s application.
Each time an opening becomes available in a particular grade, the school will contact the parent/guardian of the next student on the waitlist for that grade and offer their child the open spot. If the parent/guardian declines the spot, it will be offered to the next student in line on the waitlist for that grade, and so on.
You may notice fluctuations in your student’s waitlist number. This is a fairly common occurrence, especially during peak times of enrollment, and should not be a cause for concern. There is a lot of movement on the waitlist in the spring, especially for entry-level grades, and as other families make choices. So even if your student’s waitlist number is high following the lottery, things can change rapidly.
There are many variables involved, so we cannot accurately predict chances of enrollment. Much depends on the decisions of other parents and the availability of seats at a particular campus, in a particular grade. Offers are made throughout the spring, summer, and even into the next school year. Our teams work diligently to ensure that anytime a seat becomes available, an offer is made to the next student in line.
BASIS Charter Schools have a zero-tolerance policy for bullying. At the beginning of the school year, all of our students (with parent permission) attend an anti-bullying program led by our Student Affairs team. These principles are enforced and revisited in subsequent sessions throughout the school year.
BASIS Charter Schools provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to disabled students in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), in accordance with all applicable laws and implementation regulations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). If you have specific questions about Special Education at a BASIS Charter School, please contact the Special Education Coordinator at your school and they will be happy to assist you.
Every BASIS Charter School campus has a Student Affairs team. Individuals on this team offer academic, social/emotional, and behavioral support to students in need. With our advanced curriculum, having a strong academic support program in place is essential for student success. Our teachers hold regular Student Hours, (before and after school) during which students can get extra help. The Student Affairs team will also meet with students who need extra support on a regular basis, working on organization, time management, note taking, and other related skills that enable academic success.
Thank you for your interest in our future campuses. We haven’t finalized the specific location for our future Irving campus yet. We look forward to announcing the location once it has been finalized. Sign Up for Interest List to stay up to date on news and announcements.
