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Our Mission...
Our mission is to enable students, grades 6th-12th, to acquire critical reasoning and communication skills and to explore the cultural and scientific achievements that are at the heart of the liberal arts and sciences…About TPA :: Welcome to TPA
You have begun a journey that will bring lifelong change. Our graduates are confident, articulate, and prepared to live full human lives. They have studied some of the greatest works in the history of the world; they understand the intellectual foundations of the world in which they live. While they are trained in advanced mathematics and science, they also appreciate art and culture as expressions of the human spirit. Their vision is broad and expanding: they are approaching fluency in a modern European language or a critical appreciation for our classical linguistic heritage, and they possess the intellectual skills and disciplines which make a lifetime of learning possible. Of course, a liberal arts education is not one that can be completed hurriedly or with a sense only of its immediate benefit or material value. The formation of our students’ characters and imaginations involves an exposure to great works and thinking over time. We call this the formation of “a habitual vision of greatness.” In enrolling your son or daughter at Tempe Prep, you join us in a commitment to personal growth for each student in each of his or her years here. It will be a rich experience, marked by the formation of deep understanding, new discoveries of personal excellence, and the creation of enduring friendships. It is an education for life. We welcome you to the Tempe Prep experience.
History
Tempe Prep was founded in 1996 by a group of Tempe residents -- professors, engineers, and businessmen -- who wanted the very best form of education for their own children. In the early 1990s, the founders had contemplated opening a private liberal arts academy, based on the proven academic legacy of the Trinity Schools (a network of renowned private, liberal arts preparatory schools in the Midwest and East). However, they were unable to raise the funds to realize their dream. Thankfully, the Arizona State Legislature and Governor passed the charter school laws in 1995. Tempe Prep was one of the first charter schools in Arizona, receiving its mandate to operate from the newly formed State Board for Charter schools. The school published a flyer of its “Great Books” curriculum to residents of the East Valley. Families were attracted to the opportunity to receive a liberal arts, private school education in a public setting.
The school filled quickly and TPA began operation in September of 1996 with 120 students and 9 teachers. Today, the approximate total student count is 132 in the junior high and 215 in the high school. The founding board members are Dr. Thomas Butler, Dr. John X. Evans, Mr. Raul Espericueta, Mr. Chris LeBeau, Mr. Daniel Sauer, and Dr. Janet Scoggin.
Outgrowth Schools
In an effort to replicate the success of Tempe Preparatory Academy, the Great Hearts Preparatory Academies (GHPA) was established as a separate organization. To date, Veritas Preparatory Academy (VPA), Chandler Preparatory Academy (CPA), and Mesa Preparatory Academy (MPA) have been built from this founding model.
Accreditations and Affiliations
We are accredited by the American Academy of Liberal Education (AALE), and the North Central Association (NCA), the Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. We are chartered by the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools (ASBCS). The athletic program is a member of the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) and of the Charter Athletic Association (CAA).