A new charter school in Fort Worth is providing a free high school education for adults.
New Heights High School is a public high school designed for adults ages 18 through 50. The school partners with Tarrant County College to provide students with a high school diploma, career certification, and college classes at zero charge.
“I call it a high school and more,” New Heights CEO Traci Berry told The Dallas Express.
The school year is divided into four eight-week terms, and classes are offered from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. to optimize students’ flexibility when choosing their schedules.
“A lot of our students are working multiple jobs,” said Berry. “Everything in our design of our high school is centered around an adult, whether it be work responsibilities or family responsibilities.”
Every student is paired with a coaching advisor to assist them on their career path and academics and help them navigate the barriers of returning to school. Whether it be finding resources for childcare, transportation, or mental health counseling, New Heights has coaches specifically dedicated to helping students throughout their journey.
After graduation, students remain partnered with their advisors to work together and find better jobs to support themselves and their families.
“Our goal is to remove all the barriers for students so they can just focus on their learning, on their personal plan, on their career goals, their dreams,” said Berry. “We’re going to do what we can to make it where they can focus on what inspired them to start school.”
Many students have previous backgrounds of incarceration. According to Berry, 62% of people who are incarcerated do not have their high school diploma, and Texas has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country.
New Heights is an avenue for previously incarcerated individuals to change their trajectory in life.
The school accepts open enrollment no matter what educational background or criminal background a student arrives with. “We believe your past does not define you. Why you dropped out of school doesn’t define who you are and what your future could look like,” said Berry.
The diverse body of students allows them to learn from one another and their unique walks of life. “It’s really fun to watch a 45-year-old and an 18-year-old in the same classroom, because they bring different things to the table and can actually help each other learn again.”
Overall, Berry says the goal is to give adults the power of choice back—the choice to obtain their degree, increase their salary, inspire their children, and motivate themselves.
“Take a chance on yourself,” said Berry. “These are a lot of individuals who are raising families and this and that, and we give a lot to our children, right? And we’re doing everything we can [to] get by. …I always say, you know, at some point, there has to come a time where you take a chance on yourself and invest in yourself.”
New Heights’ first day of school begins on September 3, with an expected student body size of up to 700 students. The school is currently accepting enrollment for terms two, three, and four. As long as you are a Texas resident, you can attend.
For more information on New Heights and getting enrolled, visit their website here.