The Liberty Hill ISD academy provides an alternative education option for 11th and 12th grade students that may struggle to succeed in a traditional school setting. Since opening in 2022, the school has graduated over 200 students, said Jonathan Bever, the academy's Director of Student Success.
What happened
Nineteen of the 36 spring graduates celebrated with a ceremony at Liberty Hill High School. The event featured remarks from Bever and graduating students who thanked their teachers at the academy for helping them succeed.
“Coming into [Success Academy] was the best choice, because I made so much progress from what I had,” graduate Monica Adame said. “If it wasn't for the staff helping me, I would have continued to struggle the way I was in regular high school.”
Graduate Landon Cannon said he wanted to attend the Success Academy to graduate early and enlist in the military. He thanked his teachers for helping him navigate difficult times.
“The staff of the Liberty Hill Success Academy were more than just teachers to me, they were family, and I couldn't be more grateful to have got to spend time with them,” Cannon said.
Bever, who was formerly the principal of LHHS, shared words of advice with the graduates as they prepared to enter the next chapter of their lives. He encouraged the graduates to have a positive attitude and trust their instincts along with being honest, true to themselves and kind to others.
“Thank you for your commitment, dedication, becoming all that you can become, and thank you for the joyful years you've given our faculty and the Liberty Hill community,” Bever said. “It has been an honor and a privilege to walk beside you in your journey.”
How it works
The school of choice provides a personalized learning environment that is tailored to students’ individual needs and allows them to build relationships with teachers, Bever said. The academy may serve students who need to graduate early or are at risk of dropping out.
“We've created the Success Academy to basically fit every single story that a kid has,” Bever said. “Every single story is different.”
Students undergo a self-paced online curriculum where they may accelerate their coursework and recover credits. The school provides flexible scheduling with half-day and full-day options.
The program began in the 2022-23 school year with 16 students at the LHHS campus, Bever said. This school year, the academy began operating out of a new portable building next to LHHS that is shared with the district’s Disciplinary Alternative Education Program, or DAEP.
The school enrolls around 70 students at a time who may graduate in December or March. Students interested in attending the Success Academy may submit an application and complete an interview to determine if they are eligible.
Why it matters
The Success Academy has proven effective for students who previously struggled to attend school, Bever said. The academy once graduated a student who had never attended school for five days in a row before joining the Success Academy, Bever said.
Bever said he believes students keep coming back to class each day due to the relationships they've formed.
“We're more than just a staff,” Bever said. “We're like a family.”
Many Success Academy students go on to enlist in the military or attend college. Some students previously thought they would not be able to achieve these accomplishments after struggling in high school, Bever said.
Looking ahead
Bever said he hopes the Success Academy will become its own campus in the future; however, no plans are underway at this time.
