You may have heard that The School of Arts and Enterprise (The SAE) is a “charter school”. But what does that really mean? And how does that make us different from other schools? The answers may surprise you!

  • We Are Public

That’s right: charter schools are also public schools. We’re located in downtown Pomona but we enroll students from any district – you don’t have to be a resident of Pomona Unified School District to attend The SAE. In fact, 40% of students commute from over 35 different cities!   

  • We Are Tuition-Free

Just like a public school, The SAE is tuition-free for all middle and high school students. We are audition-free, too!

  • We Are Mission Driven

The SAE was founded by a group of educators and artists that are passionate about providing excellent arts education and creative entrepreneurship for young artists. We have an official mission statement that guides us: 

We live to unlock and nurture the passion of each and every student through a foundation of knowledge, creativity and a lifelong love of learning.

We support this foundation on the transformational power of art, entrepreneurship and 21st century scholarship.

We empower passionate world-citizens with the confidence of knowledge, the power of creative thinking, and the tools needed to succeed.

  • We Put Students First

Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all learning. Charter schools are usually centered on the needs of the student, often through a personalized curriculum or specialized offerings. The SAE is no exception. Students in grades 9-12 select a 4-year course of study from 7 majors and 5 dual majors. We offer project-based learning in a small school environment, with block scheduling on a rotation to give our students time to finish homework and projects during the school day. 

  • We Are Free to Innovate

Because of our strong commitment to our mission we are an exciting hub of innovation. At The SAE, our highly qualified teachers are able to teach in creative ways, supported by like-minded teachers and staff. Our innovative teaching model encourages students to explore artistic interests and find their passions – starting in 6th grade. Wednesday Afternoon Arts enables students to access classes in 15 different arts programs, so they can pursue interests and maybe discover a new passion in the process. And our students connect their art to creative entrepreneurship and graduate prepared to succeed in whatever interests they choose to pursue. 

  • We Keep It Small

Parents looking for a small school, where everyone knows their name, often look to charter schools to find a greater sense of community. At The SAE, community is at the core of our safe and deliberately small 6th-12th grade charter school. With only 675 students across seven grades, our students benefit from an intimate learning environment and small class sizes. Our small school size enables staff to know students – and their families – personally. When students enroll here, they often report that they’ve found a sense of belonging – that they’re understood and known by their peers and teachers. 

Our unconventional tuition-free 6th-12th grade charter school welcomes all learners with a flexible curriculum that is as unique as each of our students. Want to find out more? Contact The School of Arts and Enterprise and enroll today.

About The SAE

The School of Arts and Enterprise (The SAE) is an audition-free and tuition-free arts charter school serving grades 6-12. Our campuses are located in the Pomona, CA Arts Colony, surrounded by a thriving professional arts community. We offer nationally-recognized, award-winning arts education and creative entrepreneurship for young artists through project-based learning and flexible block scheduling. Students are supported by a close-knit community that values creative expression and celebrates differences. Join The SAE today! Enrolling now.