Introduction
The American School of Torreon was founded in 1950 by a group of enthusiastic people who wished to offer to the Laguna region a first class, bicultural and bilingual education.
Their primary goal was not only to teach the English language correctly but also to offer students a complete North American cultural experience.
Students would not only learn to speak and write in English, they would be totally immersed in a program providing a comprehensive understanding of United States educational programming and culture.
It was an idea—a challenge.
It was the beginning of the American School of Torreon.
Our Beginning
In September of 1950 the American School of Torreón began operating with 38 students and 4 teachers in a house provided by Peñoles, a local mining industry.Four years later, the school had grown and changed its location to 20 Escobedo Avenue. By then, the number of students had increased to 250. Mr. Clinton A. Luckett and Mrs. Joe Athon founded The American School of Torreón with the support of a board of directors, a visionary and progressive group of locals and expats.
The first general director was Dr. Paul H. Jensen. The American School, also known as CAT (Colegio Americano de Torreón) was founded as a non-profit, non-denominational, co-educational institution. Since its beginning, the school has been accredited by S.E.P and since 1954 by the Southern Association of Colleges and School (SACS), a U.S. accrediting agency. To this date the school maintains accreditation with both SEP and SACS.
Torreón Jardin Campus
Ten years after its foundation, the school moved to a new campus located in Nogal 220 in the Torreón Jardin neighborhood. Thanks to a donation from the North American government, the first stage of construction was completed, consisting of auditorium classrooms and main offices. Under the wise direction of Mr. Donald D. Jameson as Managing Director and Mr. Arnold C. Taylor as Vice Principal, the Colegio Americano de Torreón grew in size and prestige.
Our Present
After 70 years, with over 1,300 students, Pre-Nursery to 12th grade, close to 300 faculty and staff members, Colegio Americano de Torreón continues to be the leading school in the Laguna region.Our current campus, donated by Mr. Efrain López Gurza, is located on an approximately 30-acre site in Los Viñedos, an upper-middle-class neighborhood in Torreon. Middle and High School divisions moved to these facilities in August 2001 and Elementary and Early Childhood in August of 2006. Over the last ten years, our facilities have grown into a beautiful campus. There are over 100 classrooms, three libraries, a Center for Visual and Performing Arts, which includes a theater with a capacity for 450 people, a cafeteria and eating areas, three gymnasiums, indoor semi-Olympic swimming pool, multiple soccer fields, covered tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, as well as a track and field arena.
Our latest project was the completion of our State-of-the-Art Early Childhood Center opened in August 2019. All of our facilities have helped us to maintain and grow our mission and vision of developing students’ artistic, athletic and academic excellence.
