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After receiving their Charter in the fall of 1999 enrollment grew again. Through word of mouth the student population continued to double each year as they added one grade level at a time. By Dec. 2001 it was time to find another location to expand. The current property on Acoma Drive was purchased to relocate the school.
In the fall of 2002 students, preschool through fourth grade, enjoyed a new campus that consisted of buildings A and B. The following year Singapore Math Curriculum was introduced to the staff, who embraced it as an integral part of our curriculum. Benchmark School was the first school in the United States to fully implement Singapore Math K - 6.
In 2004, Building C was built to house the 5th and 6th grades as well as Exceptional Student Service (ESS) offices and computer lab (now known as Math/Makerspace). By now the student population in the elementary school was around 400 students and the preschool approximately 80 students.
At the end of the 2005 - 2006 school year Dragonfly Charter School closed its doors and offered the resources of the current Science Lab to Benchmark. It was then that the Science/Art building (Building D) was built to house the animals and resources.
The past 20+ years have brought new opportunities and challenges. The unfailing support of the Benchmark School community, the staff's dedication and love of teaching continue to set the standard for maintaining an excelling school.
In 1998 the dream became a reality. Driv
en by the convictions of several hearty souls who cared deeply about the growing need to provide a solid foundation for our children, Benchmark School was launched, and a new learning community was born. Twenty-five years later, a veritable “benchmark” (standard) has been established in elementary education.
From its team-teaching model (two full-time professional teachers per classroom) to its experiential learning approach (hands-on Science Lab and Makerspace), Benchmark quickly emerged as an industry pacesetter. From its nationally acclaimed Core Knowledge curriculum to its phonics-based literacy program and Singapore mathematics, it is no surprise that a Benchmark education became one of the most coveted learning experiences in the Valley.
Tradition begets legacy, and Benchmark embodies both. Moreover, those vital relationships between our parents, teachers, and students make it poised to set the standard of academic quality and excellence.
As former US Secretary of Education William Bennett maintained, an elementary education is the most important in a child’s life. A sustained commitment, therefore, and long-term investment will result in not only a remarkable journey but also a life-changing adventure!
If Benchmark is your school of choice, it will be one that your child will never forget, and you will never regret.
Warm regards,
Brian Schroeder
Principal
Benchmark School