Bright Futures Academy opened to nearly 90 enrolled families Tuesday, Aug. 11, as Lamar CISD launched a specialized campus for students with autism spectrum disorder on the first day of the 2026-27 school year.
The school serves children ages 3 through second grade at the former Beasley Elementary site, 7511 Avenue J in Beasley. It can accommodate up to 95 students and represents the district's response to a 334.1% surge in ASD enrollment over the past decade, according to Texas Education Agency data reported by Community Impact.
Enrollment is voluntary.
"We pride ourselves in our special education program," Executive Director of Special Education Tiffany Mathis told Community Impact. "Bright Futures Academy is one step above because it is an in-district charter school. It is not something that we can tell a parent, 'You must attend this program.' They want to be here."
Inside the classrooms
Principal Toni Scott leads a staff of 10 teachers and 21 paraprofessionals spread across 10 classrooms, according to Mathis. Students are placed in one of three instructional levels:
- Level 1 focuses on social skills development under the TEKS curriculum.
- Level 2 centers on compliance and social skills under TEKS with modifications and accommodations.
- Level 3 addresses compliance under an alternate curriculum and prerequisite skills.
The academy also employs a school psychologist, education diagnostician, speech pathologist, occupational therapist, physical education teacher and an art teacher.
Assistant principal Lauren Crew said at the Aug. 7 ribbon-cutting ceremony that the model breaks down traditional silos, connecting academics, therapy and family partnerships into a single team approach rather than treating them as separate pieces.
How it came together
Lamar CISD developed the academy in partnership with Lamar Legacy Partners, according to the district's announcement. The district held public informational sessions at Beasley Elementary beginning in February, with applications closing March 20.
At the Aug. 7 ribbon-cutting, Superintendent Dr. Roosevelt Nivens and Board of Trustees President Jacci Hotzel addressed the crowd. Chelsea Brown, a Terry High School graduate with more than a decade of experience in education and behavioral support, is among the inaugural staff. Brown said at the ceremony that the learning environment is individualized for each student and that staff worked to ensure every family feels heard.
What's next
The district plans to add one grade level per year through fifth grade, according to its website. That expansion would eventually serve elementary-age students with ASD across the full K-5 spectrum.
Families seeking more information can visit LCISD.org/BrightFutures or email [email protected]. The opening comes days after the district cut the ribbon on its $174.8 million career and technical education center, part of a broader facilities push as Lamar CISD now enrolls more than 50,000 students.
