Most high schools struggle with bullying. Not Huntington-Surrey.

 

Most schools want to create a safe, inclusive environment, where nobody is mistreated or left out. They do their best, but due to their size and the impersonality of the mainstream model of education, most of them inevitably fall short despite their efforts. Incidents slip past their notice. Targeted students fall through the cracks. Or, worse yet, some administrators might even tacitly condone bullying and harassment, allowing prejudice, stereotypes, and toxic attitudes to limit their effectiveness at keeping their students safe and able to focus on learning.

 

Huntington-Surrey is different. We are a deliberately-small, independent, alternative school, and we offer two key focuses: top-notch college-prep academics; and a community based on deep inclusion, personal support, affirmation, and respect. That allows us to accomplish things that are simply structurally impossible at larger, less-individualistic high schools.

 

At Huntington-Surrey, zero bullying is not just a goal or a policy – it’s a reality. Two things make that possible: our small size means that there simply is not the opportunity for any student to slip through the cracks, and our emphasis on knowing and supporting every student as an individual means that no potential situation is able to fly under the radar long enough to become an issue. We’re able to solve problems before they can actually become problems. Our strong commitment to continuing as a bullying-free school means that we work ceaselessly and proactively to make sure that bullying does not happen here. We’re proud of that – we’re motivated and committed to making sure it remains the case.

 

Huntington-Surrey has students who’ve been bullied, stalked, excluded, or mistreated elsewhere. Here, they’ve found a safe haven – an academic garden where they can grow, thrive, and blossom. At Huntington-Surrey, you can relax and just be the person you are. Nobody here will judge or condemn you – we’ll just help you reach your fullest academic potential and make sure you’re well-prepared to succeed in college in whatever field you choose.

 

It would not be easy to find a school that matched Huntington-Surrey’s culture of respect and inclusion – in fact, we’re the first and only high school to join the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce. At the end of the day, Huntington-Surrey understands that you can only expect academic success in a supportive, conducive environment – and that means providing a meaningful, uplifting alternative to bullying, exclusion, mistreatment, and other distractions.