Overview
Grade Levels
K–12
Number of Campuses
22
Year Launched
2012
Voice
Quick Description
A tuition-free public school offering a classical liberal arts education that forms students in knowledge and virtue, preparing them for a life of purpose and civic responsibility.
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Taglines
Shaping Minds, Building Character: A Free Classical Education.
Timeless Education, Lifelong Skills: A Private School Experience, Tuition-Free
Founders Classical: Where Values and Leadership Meet Timeless Education.
Personality
- Intentional
- Scholarly
- Virtuous
- Reflective
- Dignified
- Honest
- Joyful
- Uncompromising
- Cultivated
- Hopeful
Tone
Founders speaks with wisdom, clarity, and conviction. We don’t condescend, oversimplify, or chase trends—we appeal to a student’s higher nature.
- Formative, not performative
- Encouraging, not pandering
- Grounded, not trendy
- Clear, not clinical
- Respectful, not casual
- Noble, not prideful
- Serious, but joyful
Examples:
- This will be challenging, but we believe you are capable of great things.
- We study Latin because it sharpens the mind and connects us to our cultural roots.
- There is real joy in working hard, asking big questions, and discovering truth together.
Example Ad Copy
- Concise & Timeless
A Classical Education for Lifelong Success
Founders Classical Academies provide a time-tested, virtue-driven education that cultivates wisdom, character, and a love of learning. Enroll today! - Emphasizing Character & Academics
Shaping Minds, Building Character
At Founders Classical Academies, students receive a rigorous, classical education rooted in virtue, critical thinking, and leadership. Prepare for a lifetime of success—apply now! - Highlighting Tradition & Excellence
Rediscover the Power of Classical Learning
Founders Classical Academies offers a rich, knowledge-based curriculum that fosters intellectual curiosity, civic virtue, and academic excellence. Give your child an education that will stand the test of time.
Ideal Student
Founders welcomes all students, but flourishes best with those eager to pursue knowledge and virtue. Our students rise to a challenge, demonstrate respect for others, and approach learning with wonder. They may not arrive with these habits—but they are willing to be formed. Uniforms are worn to support order, unity, and school pride.
Mission
To provide an excellent and distinctive classical education that pursues knowledge, promotes virtue, and prepares students for prosperous lives in a free society.
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Values
Knowledge – Build a strong foundation of facts, language, ideas, and cultural literacy.
Virtue – Teach, model, and cultivate moral character.
Liberty – Equip students with the habits of self-governance necessary to flourish in a free society.
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Academics
Founders Classical Academies offer a rigorous, knowledge-rich education in the liberal arts and sciences. Our program is structured around the Trivium (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric) and includes Latin, fine arts, and original texts.
Grammar-Level Foundation – K–5 instruction focused on memory, structure, and core knowledge.
Logic-Level Exploration – Middle school instruction emphasizes reasoning, analysis, and structured debate.
Rhetoric-Level Expression – High school culminates in rhetorical mastery through writing, speech, and the Senior Thesis.
Curriculum Highlights
Core Knowledge® for grades K–8
Latin instruction beginning in grade 6
Great Books, primary sources, and Socratic discussion
Logic, rhetoric, and moral philosophy
Emphasis on Western civilization and founding principles
Senior Thesis in 12th grade
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Differentiators
Founders is not a traditional or progressive school—and that’s by design.
Classical Model – Based on timeless truths, not educational trends
Virtue Formation – Moral education is integrated, not supplemental
Teacher-Led Instruction – Direct instruction, not discovery learning
Knowledge-Rich Curriculum – We teach real content, not just skills
Order & Joy – Our classrooms are structured and filled with delight
Senior Thesis – A months-long capstone project rooted in the Western tradition
Founders Teacher Initiative – Training classical educators in content and craft
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Terminology
DO Say
Classical education
Founders offers a classical education rooted in the liberal arts and sciences.
DON’T Say
Traditional school
Founders is a traditional school that focuses on liberal arts and sciences.
Why
“Classical” reflects our curriculum and mission
DO Say
Liberal arts and sciences
Our students receive a robust education in the liberal arts and sciences.
DON’T Say
College prep
We’re a college prep program with advanced academics.
Why
Liberal arts includes moral, civic, and aesthetic education
DO Say
Character & virtue formation
Our school culture centers on the formation of character and virtue.
DON’T Say
Behavior management
We focus on managing student behavior effectively.
Why
We form people, not just correct behavior
DO Say
Core knowledge
We use the Core Knowledge® sequence to build historical and cultural literacy.
DON’T Say
General knowledge
Students learn general knowledge across all subject areas.
Why
Refers to the specific, sequenced curriculum we use
DO Say
Knowledge-rich
A knowledge-rich curriculum provides the foundation for critical thinking.
DON’T Say
Rigorously academic
Our classes are rigorous and academic, with lots of advanced material.
Why
Centers on the content, not just difficulty level
DO Say
Trivium-based model
Our curriculum is built on the Trivium: grammar, logic, and rhetoric.
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Grade levels
We group students by grade level and tailor lessons accordingly.
Why
Describes the intentional educational stages
DO Say
Senior Thesis
Every senior completes a thesis rooted in the Great Books tradition.
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Capstone project
Our students wrap up with a final capstone project of their choosing.
Why
Reflects the intellectual tradition it comes from
DO Say
Classical languages
Students begin studying classical languages, like Latin, in middle school.
DON’T Say
Foreign language
We offer foreign language classes starting in sixth grade.
Why
Indicates depth and tradition (Latin, Greek roots)
DO Say
Teacher-led instruction
Teachers lead the classroom with direct instruction and guided discussion.
DON’T Say
Student-led
We use a student-led model where learners explore content on their own.
Why
Clarifies that teachers are guides and mentors
Grammar and Formatting
Accents
You should use accents in foreign words:
The French teacher introduced résumé writing during the career unit.
Book Titles
Book titles should be in italics:
Next week, students will read To Kill a Mockingbird in English class.
Ellipses
There should be no space between ellipses:
He hesitated…then raised his hand to answer.
Em Dashes
There should be no space on either side of an em dash:
The science fair project—built entirely from recycled materials—won first place.
Numbers
Use numerals when including numbers:
There are 7 periods in the school day and 25 students in each class.
Commas
Always use Oxford commas:
Students can choose from robotics, digital media, and business management.
Apostrophes
Add an apostrophe to a singular proper noun ending in “s.”:
The campus’s new policy improved student attendance.
Capitalization
Capitalize any word four letters or longer in a title:
Next week’s assembly is titled “A Future Full of Possibilities.”
Trademark Symbol Placement
Word
For names, words, and phrases, put a trademark symbol in the upper-right corner. TM, SM, or ® are placed at the top right corner of a trademark. Use superscript for a trademark symbol.
Example: Founders Classical Academy®
Word Mark
For word marks, including names and slogans or catchphrases, place the trademark symbol on the right side of the mark. Place the TM, SM, or ® directly after the mark and at the bottom right in subscript.
Example:
Image
For logos, place the trademark symbol on the bottom right side of the logo. Place the TM, SM, or ® directly after the mark and near the bottom of the logo.
Example:
Image + Word Mark
For images that are accompanied by a name, put a trademark symbol in the bottom-right corner. TM, SM, or ® are placed at the bottom right corner of a trademark. Use subscript for a trademark symbol.
Example:
Grade Levels
The preference is to spell the entire word for grade levels. They should be listed as follows:
- Pre-K
- Pre-K4 (only when necessary)
- Kindergarten
- First
- Second
- Third
- Fourth
- Fifth
- Sixth
- Seventh
- Eighth
- Ninth
- Tenth
- Eleventh
- Twelfth
If there is a grade range that should be listed, it is preferred that the word “through” is used, but if a design requires less space, an en dash (–) can be used between the grade levels. Grade levels should not be capitalized unless in a headline or call-to-action that requires each word to be capitalized.
Example: grades kindergarten through eighth
Example: grades kindergarten–eighth
If space is not available to include the full word for grade levels, initials can be used. Grade ranges can follow the same format as above. Kindergarten is listed as “K”, all other grades should be listed as their appropriate number. The word “grades” should precede the numbers. “Grades” should also be capitalized if followed by grade numbers.
Example: Grades K through 8
Example: Grades K–8
School Names
To ensure consistency and brand recognition, all campuses should follow a clear naming structure. School names must begin with the brand name, followed by a hyphen, then the city in which the campus is located. If there are multiple campuses within the same city, a regional identifier should be added in parentheses to distinguish the location:
Example: Brand Name – City
Example: Brand Name – City (Area)
Dates and Times
Date
Dates should be written with the capitalized day of the week, followed by a comma, followed by the capitalized month (unless in Spanish), followed by the number with a superscript “th” or “st”. The year can be left off if it is apparent that the date is coming within this same calendar year. If the year is necessary, add a comma followed by the numbered year.
Example: Wednesday, March 8th
Example: Wednesday, March 8th, 2032
Time
Times should be written with the a.m. and p.m. proceeding the numbers, include the colon in the time, and a space after the numbers.
Example: 8:00 p.m.
Hyphens can be used to save room on designs for start and end times. Preferably, “to” should be used between the times.
Example: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Preference: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Date and Time
To combine the date and time, use the examples above, and add “from” between the date and the time.
Example: Wednesday, March 8th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Addresses
Addresses should be listed as: Street number, followed by the street name, followed by the abbreviated type of roadway with a period (St., Rd., Ave.). If there is a second address line, abbreviate the location type with a period (Ste., Apt.), followed by the number, followed by a comma, followed by the City, followed by a comma, followed by the state initials, followed by the zip code.
Example: 0000 Street Ln., Ste. 000, City, TX 00000
Phone Numbers
Phone numbers should only include numbers and hyphens in the appropriate locations:
Example: 000-000-0000
Website URLs
Website URLs should be listed differently based on text alignment. If left or right aligned, the URL should be listed without “www.”. If the website URL is center aligned, it should be listed with “www.”. Never include “https://”.
Example (left or right aligned): Website.com
Example (center aligned): www.Website.com
Capitalize the first letter of each word in a URL to help with readability and brand recognition. Do not capitalize the domain extension. Capitalize the path as well.
Example: CapitalizeTheFirstLetter.com
Example: CapitalizeTheFirstLetter.com/EnrollToday
Headlines and Calls-to-Action
Headlines and calls-to-action are at the discretion of the designer based on the overall design layout. All letters can be capitalized, all words can be capitalized, the first word can be capitalized, or all letters can be lowercase.
Example: Headlines and calls-to-action
Example: Headlines and Calls-to-Action
Example: HEADLINES AND CALLS-TO-ACTION
Example: headlines and calls-to-action