Keystone School

Keystone School has been a haven for San Antonio's bright and motivated children since 1948. Our diverse community of engaged learners in grades PK3-12 enjoys small classes, master teachers, and interdisciplinary instruction at our warm and historic campuses. Keystone's scholars prepare for adulthood in a safe and inclusive environment, and consistently lead the nation in measures of academic excellence.

Although San Antonio offers a wide array of educational opportunities, few schools provide a program that combines an emphasis on the intellectual, ethical, and social lives of children and adolescents; this holistic educational experience teaches students how to excel in all areas of their lives and prepares them for the next step in their educational journey.

For seventy years now, Keystone’s academic program has been recognized as one of the best in Texas and the United States. Starting in the Little School and continuing on through the Lower, Middle, and Upper divisions, students learn the skills and the content that will enable them to be successful in general while kindling their intellectual passions to pursue those specific fields of study for which they have the greatest passion.

Perhaps this is one reason that in 2006, the College Board named Keystone the “best school in the world.” While we don’t necessarily know if that is true, we do know that the success of Keystone alumni at the finest colleges and universities in the world testifies to the challenge and support that our students receive from devoted and passionate faculty and staff members who are deeply committed to their success and personal well-being.

In addition, at Keystone, we know that a world-class academic education is necessary but not sufficient in today’s interconnected global economy and society. We teach students to combine the knowledge of the head with the ethical growth of the heart to be peerless academicians and outstanding people of good character. Keystone students involve themselves in their communities by taking what they learn in the classroom and applying it to the greater world; consequently, they learn how to be responsible leaders who not only understand the problems of today but also devise possible solutions.

Keystone's mission is to offer an accelerated PK3 – 12 curriculum that provides motivated students with a nationally recognized, well-rounded educational experience in a supportive, inclusive environment that encourages academic excellence, ethical growth, community involvement, and responsible leadership.

At Keystone, the concept of an accelerated curriculum goes beyond the idea of utilizing higher-level textbooks. Beginning in kindergarten, we seek students who demonstrate a natural inquisitiveness; in our Upper School, we encourage students to maintain that child-like curiosity, teaching them how to frame questions, find answers, and think broadly. Teachers at all grade levels utilize a teaching style that seeks to satisfy the natural curiosity and love of learning that our students possess. As a result, the quality of work that our students produce is exceptional. In our Upper School, students are prepared for challenging courses, which are all honors or AP-level, and many students advance to college with more than a semester’s work behind them.

Keystone School has been a haven for bright, motivated students since 1948. A Keystone student is taught to ask questions, to pursue knowledge, and to love learning. We believe that when given the opportunity, encouragement, and means to think more deeply and comprehensively, young people will respond with the enthusiasm and energy to go beyond the demands of a standard curriculum. Within the context of a balanced and supportive environment, our challenging and thoughtful college-preparatory program, enriched with many opportunities for physical, social, creative, and ethical growth, challenges students to develop diligence, inquisitiveness, independence, self-discipline, and responsibility.

Keystone is a nationally recognized, multi-cultural, college-preparatory school where academic excellence and student individuality are honored. Our small, accelerated classes and co-curricular activities prepare our students to succeed academically and socially at the nation’s best colleges and universities. Keystone School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies.

From kindergarten through Upper School, Keystone students travel to nearby and distant locations to explore their world. Lower school field trips are designed to support, enhance and enrich daily classroom instruction. Students attend plays, visit working farms, and sample the history of San Antonio and Austin. Middle School students travel farther in pursuit of science, history and personal challenges. Students camp and hike as they study the ecology and wildlife at Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Olympic National Park, and west Texas parks.

The purpose of these excursions is to introduce students to incredible natural beauty and the joys of the outdoors, and to give students an opportunity to know each other better outside of the classroom. The student/teacher relationships which develop from such experiences are unique to Keystone. Sharing a colorful sunset on a much needed break along a long trail, or jokes around the campfire have formed some of our most cherished memories as teachers and comprise many of the students’ fondest school experiences.