The Bennett School is one of the top high school baseball programs in the United States. Its student-athletes attend class for only two hours per day with help from artificial intelligence.
Is that enough?
This unique approach to high school baseball and academics creates a philosophical debate that pits the traditional model of learning against the academy model. One focuses on school, sports and community. The other focuses on career training, efficiency and specialization.
The Bennett School is a high school baseball powerhouse.
Built in partnership with Alpha School and Texas Sports Academy, The Bennett School opened in August. It is a Katy-based private school that is primarily focused on athletics.
The Rebels are one of the best high school baseball teams in the United States this season. They are currently ranked No. 1 in the state of Texas and No. 14 overall with a regular season record of 24-4.
Their schedule is loaded. The Bennett School travels all over the country to compete against the best of the best.
- Barbe High School — No. 8 in the nation, No. 1 in Louisiana
- Sam Houston High School — No. 2 in Louisiana
- Hoover High School — No. 1 in Alabama
- South Walton High School — No. 4 in the nation, No. 2 in Florida
- Farragut High School — No. 6 in the nation, No. 1 in Tennessee
- St. John’s Country Day — 2025 Florida state runner-up
- IMG Academy — No. 3 in the nation, No. 5 in Florida
- Magnolia Heights High School — No. 19 in the nation, No. 1 in Mississippi
Its roster features multiple Division-I baseball commits to schools like Rice, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas State. Others include Blinn College, LSU Eunice and Angelina College.
Senior ace Karson Reeder is committed to play at Texas. He recently threw a gem in a win over IMG.
You get the idea. The Bennett School has one of the most talented rosters in high school baseball. Kids transfer in from all over the Lone State State to get in the lineup. It is essentially an all-star team.
Students attend A.I.-powered class for only two hours per day.
The Bennett School takes a controversial approach to learning. More time per day is actually spent on baseball than on academics.
Students start their mornings with a concentrated, two-hour block that is focused only on schoolwork. They spend the rest of their day at practice.
A recent article from the Houston Chronicle provides a much greater understanding of the A.I.-focused learning model but the gist is this:
- Learning is done only on a computer.
- The computer is powered by an A.I. called ‘Incept’
- ‘Incept’ analyzes two aspects for each student.
- 1) What they already know
- 2) Their personal interests
- The system generates a student-specific lesson plan that is personally compelling to deliver better results on an educational level
- Students move faster or slower depending on their need.
- Students must master a topic before they can move on.
- There are adult “guides” on site to help but the teaching is driven by the computer.
This specific way of learning is based on the idea that one-on-one tutoring is more effective than a multi-student lecture taught by only one instructor. It coincides with the Pomodoro Technique of time management.
“Short, focused learning times followed by five-minute breaks,” Bennett School co-founder explained to ABC 13. “We repeat that several times, which then unlocks the rest of their day.”
Tuition costs only $15,000 — which, believe it or not, is cheaper than most of the other private school options in the greater Houston area. The Bennett School is also eligible for the statewide voucher program that provides families with taxpayer funds to offset the cost of homeschool or private education.
As you could imagine, that has been met with criticism. Should top baseball recruits receive taxpayer money to attend a baseball-focused high school that requires only two hours of learning each day?