Admissions
Is Serenity right for my teen?
We would rather tell you honestly than fill a seat. Here is who this school works for, who it does not, and what we will do if the answer is not yet.
Most schools try to convince you they are a fit for everybody. We are not, and pretending otherwise would waste your time and set your teen up to fail in a place that cannot help them.
So here is the line, stated as plainly as we know how.
That is the whole admissions philosophy. Everything else is logistics.
Why we hold that line
It is not a purity test, and it is not about being selective. It is about what this school actually does.
Serenity works because every student in the building is choosing the same hard thing at the same time. That shared commitment is what makes the campus what it is. A student who is not choosing it does not absorb it from the room, and their presence changes the environment that every other family here is counting on.
It also tends not to work for the student. A teenager who has been directed into sobriety by a parent, a court, or a program, and who has not arrived at wanting it themselves, often experiences a recovery school as one more thing being done to them. That is a difficult place to build from.
What "wants to be sober" actually means
We are not asking for certainty. Almost nobody at fifteen has certainty about anything, and early recovery is not a confident time in a person's life.
What we are listening for is whether your teen can say something like I don't want to go back to that, or I know I can't be around those people, or I want to finish school and I know I can't do it high. It can be shaky. It can be one week old. It can come out sideways or reluctantly.
What it cannot be is only your words in their mouth.
Serenity is likely a fit if
- Your teen is coming home from treatment, or stepping down from residential, PHP, or IOP
- They can tell you, in their own words, that they want to stay sober
- They are in grades 9 through 12, ages 13 to 21
- They need to finish a diploma while recovery is still new
- You and your teen are unsure whether returning to their previous campus is the right next step
Serenity is likely not a fit if
- You want sobriety for your teen and they do not want it for themselves
- Your teen is actively using and has not been through treatment
- What your family needs right now is treatment. We support recovery, we do not provide it
- The primary need is a behavioral or disciplinary placement rather than recovery
- Your teen is not able to be around other students at all right now
If your teen is not there yet, call us anyway
This is the part we most want you to hear. A no from us today is not a closed door, and it is not the end of the conversation.
We will talk with you about where your teen actually is. We will point you toward treatment providers, outpatient programs, and other options in North Texas that we know and trust. And when your teen gets to the place where they want this for themselves, whether that is in three months or next year, call us back. Students come to Serenity on their second try all the time.
Questions families ask before they call
What if my teen relapses after they enroll?
It is handled individually, not automatically. A student is not expelled for having a substance use disorder. Relapse is a known part of this and the staff has seen it before.
Will this follow them on their transcript?
They earn an accredited McKinney ISD diploma. The transcript reflects the credits, the same as any other campus in the district.
Can they go back to their old school later?
Yes. Some students transition back once recovery is more settled. Many choose to stay through graduation.
Who else is in the building?
Other teenagers in recovery, which is the point. Every student here is working on the same thing, and the campus is chemical free with frequent random testing.
How small is it, really?
Around ten students per teacher. Coursework is self-paced, so a student who fell behind during treatment can catch up without sitting in a class that moved on without them.
What about sports and band?
UIL rules do not permit participation at the home campus while enrolled at Serenity. For many families this is the hardest trade-off, and it is worth talking through directly.
What happens when you call
You talk to Allie Long, the Assistant Principal. She will ask about your teen, where they are in treatment, and what they have said about sobriety in their own words. If Serenity is a fit, she will walk you through enrollment and set up a campus visit. If it is not, she will tell you and help you look at what is.
It is a conversation, not an application.
Talk to us
Allie Long, Assistant Principal, answers the phone.
Talk to Allie Long, Assistant Principal Serenity High, McKinney ISD