Our History
About Us
Our History
A dream that began in India and took root in North Texas.
Newman International Academy opened its doors in Arlington in 2011 as a single tuition-free campus. Today it is a family of schools serving nearly 3,000 Warriors across six North Texas cities. This is the story of how we got here, and of the educators whose legacy we carry forward.
2011
First school year
6
Cities in North Texas
Pre-K - 12
Every grade, one family
$0
Tuition, always
Dr. Hepzibah Newman
Educator for more than 60 years and the Academy’s namesake
Our Namesake & Founders
A legacy of educators
Before there was a campus in Arlington, there was a lifetime of building schools.
Dr. Hepzibah Newman devoted more than 60 years to education. As Founding President of Krishnammal College, Bharathiar University, in Coimbatore, India, she went on to establish more than 20 educational institutions that today serve over 34,000 students. She passed away in 2015 at the age of 89, and the Academy proudly bears her name.
Her daughter, Dr. Sheba George, and Mr. Lazarus George founded Newman International Academy to bring that same calling to North Texas: a tuition-free, college-preparatory public charter school that unites the most rigorous curricula of the East and West and raises Warriors of Wisdom, Stature, and Favor.
Milestones
From one campus to six cities
Fifteen years of growth, told in four chapters.
Chapter 01
The Beginning
2008–2011
A family’s calling becomes a public charter school in Arlington.
2008
A vision takes shape
The nonprofit organization behind the Academy receives its federal tax-exempt status, a first step toward bringing Dr. Newman’s calling to North Texas.
2010
A charter for Arlington
The Texas State Board of Education approves the charter for Newman International Academy of Arlington, an open-enrollment public charter school.
2011
Doors open
Our first school year begins at 2011 South Fielder Road in Arlington.
330
first-year Warriors, Pre-K through 9th grade
Chapter 02
Growing Across DFW
2015–2017
Word spreads, and new campuses open across the Metroplex.
2015
Cedar Hill joins the family
A Pre-K–12 campus opens on the Northwood University campus in Cedar Hill. That same year, we say goodbye to Dr. Hepzibah Newman.
1,000
students, Pre-K through 12th grade
2016
Mansfield and Fort Worth
Two new elementary campuses bring the Newman Way to families in Mansfield and Fort Worth.
2017
Gibbins
A secondary campus for grades 7–12 opens on Gibbins Road in North Arlington.
Chapter 03
Putting Down Roots
2021–2022
Newman invests in a permanent home and in the safety of every Warrior.
2021
A home of our own
In our tenth year, Newman purchases the Gibbins campus and breaks ground on a new athletic field and classroom wing.
2022
A department devoted to safety
The Newman International Academy Department of Public Safety is established to provide security, emergency management, and law enforcement services to our schools.
Chapter 04
A New Generation
2023–Today
New cities, new ways to learn, and the same mission.
2023
Watauga
Elementary and secondary programs open on Denton Highway in Watauga.
2025
Irving
An elementary campus opens in Irving, our sixth North Texas city.
2026
Newman Virtual Academy
A fully online program opens to high school students in grades 9–12 across Texas.
Today
Nearly 3,000
Warriors, Pre-K through 12th grade
Six North Texas cities, one family of schools, guided by the same mission that started it all.
Arlington · Cedar Hill · Mansfield · Fort Worth · Watauga · Irving
Then & Now
What has never changed
Through every new campus and every new chapter, the heart of Newman has stayed the same.
“Building the whole person for the whole world by raising warriors of wisdom, stature and favor.”
Our Motto
Wisdom, Stature & FavorThe whole childCharacter & leadershipDiscipline and nurtureParents as partnersEast and WestCollege-readyAmerican heritage
The Next Chapter
Be Part of Our Story
Every Warrior adds a page to the Newman story. Our seats are limited, and enrollment is underway.