About Us

At Independence, we believe that students learn best when they are known well by their teachers and instruction is designed to meet their needs. Students can earn up to 18 credits during the regular school year, allowing them to get back on track to graduation. Our small class sizes allow for a lot of individual attention, supporting student success. For college-bound students, we offer AP courses, in English, Psychology, Spanish and Computer Science. 

We believe that every student should be connected to a caring adult, so every student is assigned an advocate counselor from our CAMBA program to help them stay on track with attendance and academics.  We are committed to providing students with the tools they need to succeed in the world of work as well as in the academic world. The CAMBA Learn to Work program provides paid internships and offers job certifications, such as NY State Licensed Security Guard, Food Handling, OSHA and more. 

As a community school, our goal is to provide students and families with rich opportunities and with resources that meet their diverse needs. Our community school partner, Global Kids, supports students with post-secondary planning, college trips, field trips, tutoring, and leadership opportunities. They also run our on-site food pantry, providing groceries to students and families. For parenting students, there is an onsite LYFE program providing daycare.

We hope to reach each student by providing opportunities to explore their talents and interests. IHS has a professional recording studio where students can learn the art of sound mixing and record original music. We offer various after school clubs, trips to Broadway shows and school field trips. In school, we intentionally celebrate our community with pop-up events and our annual Friendsgiving.

We are a phone-free community, where we focus on being present for one another and for learning. We promote restorative practices that center the well-being and safety of our community, emphasizing peaceful conflict resolution within a warm, supportive community where all students are welcome.