Abraham Lincoln Traditional School (ALTS) is in its 22nd year of operation. The school serves not only students within the boundaries of the Washington Elementary School District but, under the Open Enrollment Law, serves a diverse population of students from the Phoenix metropolitan area. In February of 1995, the administration of the Washington Elementary School District and members of the Governing Board began to formulate an action plan to open a back-to-basics traditional school. This was the result of an effort that began more than 12 years earlier by groups of concerned parents who desired to have their children acquire an education with an emphasis on basic skills and knowledge. These parents also recognized the need for a traditional school environment in which students, faculty and staff display respect for both students and adults. On June 8, 1995, the Washington Elementary School District Governing Board approved the opening of a traditional school, which is now Abraham Lincoln Traditional School. The school opened with 158 students for the 1995-1996 school years as a K-5 school, sharing the Tumbleweed campus and administrative staff. With enrollment increasing, a principal and staff were hired in September of 1996. By the fall of 1997 the school had its own campus, had refined the academic program, and had defined the traditional philosophy. Today, parents of Abraham Lincoln Traditional School students have experienced the satisfaction of realizing the fulfillment of an immense vision. This school provides a learning environment for their children that:
• stresses high academic standards and student achievement;
• is free of programs that are unrelated to academic subjects; and
• develops traditional values like honesty, integrity and patriotism for their country.
