Rene Sanchez, Principal

The Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) of Austin is a four-year comprehensive, public, urban, college preparatory magnet high school of roughly 800 students with approximately 190 graduating seniors each year. Sharing a campus with Lyndon Baines Johnson High School, which has an additional local population of roughly 900 students, the Academy offers an innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum that educates socially conscious leaders, problem solvers, and thinkers.

The cornerstones of the Academy are learning, integrity, responsibility, and creativity. The instructional program includes advanced academic magnet course work in science, computer science, robotics, mathematics, social studies, English, French, German, Latin, Japanese, and Spanish. LASA has developed four-year strands that include rich, original magnet courses, Advanced Placement work, and courses that extend beyond the Advanced Placement level.

The Liberal Arts and Science Academy student body is composed of some of the most academically advanced students from the eleven public high schools across the city as well as area private schools. Because of this distribution, class rankings are not comparable to class rankings of students in traditional high schools. Many of our students would be in the top 5 percent had they remained at their local campuses. LASA routinely has 18 or more National Merit Finalists, and over the years, our students have graduated from many of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation.

LASA graduates have succeeded in a rigorous program of study that requires a minimum of 24 credits for graduation. In addition to completing the requirements of the state of Texas Distinguished Achievement Program, students must complete a minimum of 15 magnet credits to receive a LASA endorsement upon graduation. The Academy offers “topics” courses in English, mathematics, science, and social studies—accelerated, advanced courses, focusing on theory as well as application. Specialized electives, developed by the magnet faculty, are available to students in areas such as Advanced Robotics, Medical Microbiology, Pathophysiology, Modern Physics, Multivariable Calculus, Hitchhiker’s Guide to Science Fiction, Literary Magazine, Contemporary Social Issues, and Constitutional Law.

Challenging course work is only one component in the development of our students. Academy graduates have strong skills in problem solving, teamwork, library and laboratory research, scientific and literary analysis, oral and written communication, and critical thinking. The school has an award-winning fine arts program, including a nationally recognized band, and theatre arts and symphonic orchestra programs that have won the highest honors in the state. In addition, the school boasts publications and robotics programs that have won local, state, and national recognition.