El Paso private hybrid school touts AI use, seeks accreditation for vouchers
El Paso private hybrid school touts AI use, seeks accreditation for vouchers
Publish Date: 2026-04-21 09:00:00
Source Domain: elpasomatters.org
- An El Paso hybrid private school, New Horizons Home School Academy, is pursuing accreditation to leverage Texas’ Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) that use state funds for private school tuition.
- The school, offering in-person and online classes, is under consideration by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools for accreditation.
- Myrna Boyer, CEO of New Horizons, highlights the school’s personalized curriculum and plan to teach AI responsibly.
- The school’s tuition ranges from $3,700 to $5,300 depending on attendance mode, and it offers 10% discount for additional siblings.
- Private schools like New Horizons face criticism for incorporating AI with limited oversight and guidance compared to public schools.
- The school follows a project-based learning model and provides individualized education plans based on standardized test results.
- Concerns have been raised about student data privacy and inappropriate AI utilization due to lack of regulatory oversight in private schooling.
- New Horizons has not employed AI moderation or safeguards, relying instead on educators and small class sizes to monitor AI use.
- An ongoing issue is whether private schools, with fewer resources, can adequately implement AI effectively, contrasting with more-supported public schools.
