There is a buzz in the education world around Mason Classical Academy (MCA), a K-12 classical charter school located in sunny Naples, Florida that is offering something new while returning to something old. The attention is understandable when considering their accomplishments and statistics: U.S. News & World Report recently ranked MCA High School among the top one percent of public schools nationwide, placing it 177th out of nearly 18,000 evaluated. Florida has awarded the school an A-grade every year since its founding in 2014 – that’s 12 consecutive A-ratings! Even more telling, MCA’s senior class achieved a 100 percent pass rate on the Florida Senior Civics Literacy Exam—outperforming both the local district (58 percent) and the state (48 percent)!
So what makes MCA so different? For starters, it is their traditional teaching methods and classical curriculum. For centuries, classical education shaped civilizations—from the Greeks and Romans to America’s Founders—by cultivating citizens capable of self-government. A century ago, this proven model was abandoned in favor of progressive pedagogy that prioritized workforce training over virtue and knowledge, leaving American culture, tradition, and academic standing weakened. MCA exists to restore what was lost.
We train the minds of students rather than reducing their abilities to fit an ever-changing workforce
It is important to note that MCA’s mission extends well beyond academics. Its mission extends to shaping hearts as well as minds. The school enforces an absolute cell-phone ban, a strict uniform policy, and structured discipline across every grade level. In a culture of distractions and shifting standards, MCA holds firm to the belief that objective truths exist—even in morality—and that education should form character as well as intellect.
“We nurture the hearts of students rather than mislead them with the notion of relative truth,” says David Hull, MCA’s CEO, who has been with the school since its opening. “We train the minds of students rather than reducing their abilities to fit an ever-changing workforce.”
MCA’s families, employees, and leaders believe they are not only offering a service of education to their individual students, but also to the country as a whole. It is an imperative detail of MCA’s mission that the school is a charter school and not a private school or a magnet school – this means that all students apply through a lottery system and get free tuition! “Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” These words from author Neil Postman embody the mission of Mason Classical Academy (MCA): to prepare the next generation of American citizens with the wisdom, virtue, and knowledge needed to lead and live in freedom.
MCA’s commitment to excellence continues to grow. The school is currently constructing a brand-new campus with athletic fields, gymnasium, and expanded facilities to meet Collier County’s rising demand for the education offered at MCA. Already home to strong academic and athletic programs, the expansion will allow even more families to access this tuition-free opportunity.
The message is clear: Mason Classical Academy is making a name for itself and it’s easy to see why! At MCA, virtue and knowledge walk hand in hand and students are not only prepared for college and careers—they are prepared to carry forward the culture, traditions, and ideals of a free society. MCA students emerge not simply as graduates, but as leaders ready to shape a brighter future.
