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Serenity High School is the oldest substance-abuse recovery public high school in Texas. It was founded in 1999 as a partnership between the McKinney Independent School District and the Avenues Counseling Center in McKinney, Texas, and serves several school districts in and around Collin County, Texas. As of November 2008, it has served over 150 graduates from over 25 high schools.

The school was rated Academically Acceptable in the 2009 TEA accountability rating.

Academics

Serenity High offers traditional instruction, self-paced studies, online instruction, and dual-credit instruction in conjunction with Collin College. It has a student-teacher ratio of 10 to 1.

Funding

Serenity High School is funded through the McKinney ISD, state funding, and private fundraising. Out-of-district students pay tuition or have their local school districts pay tuition on their behalf.

In 2002 and 2003, the school district considered closing the school due to costs. Private funds kept it open.

In the fall of 2003, the school received a $160,000 grant from the Texas Education Agency.

As of November 2008, private fundraising efforts included an annual golf tournament.

Affiliations and accreditations

The school is in the McKinney Independent School District and is affiliated with the Association of Recovery Schools. In addition, students from the Anna ISD, Blue Ridge ISD, Community ISD, Farmersville ISD, Frisco ISD, Gunter ISD, Melissa ISD, Plano ISD, Rockwall ISD, and Wylie ISD may attend without paying out-of-district tuition. The school is accredited by the State of Texas but did not receive a rating for the 2007-2008 school year

National attention

In 2002, federal officials considering creating similar schools in the United States said the school could serve as a national model.

References

1. ^ Serenity High School About page, retrieved 2008-11-30
2. Serenity High School Contact page, retrieved 2008-11-30
3. ^ Piloto, Connie, "Serenity may be model for other schools Fate of financially shaky campus unclear despite national attention." Dallas Morning News. 2002-10-16. Google News
4. ^ "Serenity High State funding should build support for McKinney school." Dallas Morning News. 2003-11-29 Google News
5. "2009 Accountability Rating System". Texas Education Agency. Archived from the original on 2015-10-25.
6. ^ Serenity High School - Curriculum and Academics, retrieved 2008-11-30
7. Mission of Serenity High, retrieved 2008-11-30
8. Save Serenity: Alternative school cannot survive without other districts' support." Dallas Morning News. 2004-11-04. Google News
9. "Serenity High is at financial low: Program for recovering teen addicts given ultimatum." Dallas Morning News. 2002-07-05. Google News
10. Price, Lori, "For now, Serenity's halls stay open District to run school through spring - if $30,000 is paid." Dallas Morning News. 2003-01-25 Google News
11. Price, Lori, "McKinney trustees approve cuts: Board rejects axing alternative schools, block scheduling." Dallas Morning News. 2003-05-29 Google News
12. Serenity High Golf Classic fundraising letter Archived 2011-07-14 at the Wayback Machine, 2008-10-03.
13. MISD Campus Ratings 2007-2008 School Year, retrieved 2008-11-30

External links

• Association of Recovery Schools
• Avenues Counseling Center
• Interview, KNTU-FM radio interviews Principal Juli Ferraro and two students. Also: Interview with Traci Bowermaster, the chair of the Association of Recovery Schools, Interview with Mandy Baker of the Center for the Study of Addictions at Texas Tech University.
• Serenity High School demographic information

33°12′38.46″N 96°38′5.04″W / 33.2106833°N 96.6347333°W / 33.2106833; -96.6347333

• Educational institutions established in 1999
• McKinney Independent School District high schools
• 1999 establishments in Texas