Adult high school balances learning with challenges of life. Now it has more space
Princess Williams, with tears in her eyes, sat in the back row with her classmates at New Heights Adult High School’s McCart Avenue grand opening Thursday morning.
Williams, 23, moved back to Fort Worth from Georgia two months ago and recently learned about New Heights. She has experienced obstacles and instability in her life, from being a high school drop out, to losing custody of her son. She didn’t have money to go to school, so when she found out about the opportunities at New Heights she took a chance.
Williams is in her second week of classes at the New Heights McCart Avenue location and hopes to study social work. She says the school humanizes students working to better their lives and treats them equally.
“God handed me a silver platter because I wanted to go back to school, and my biggest regret from dropping out of school was missing so many opportunities,” Williams said.
New Heights opened its first school Sept. 3, 2024, at 5901 Fitzhugh Ave. in the Stop Six neighborhood. Its second school is at 3908 McCart Ave. in southeast Fort Worth. Classes started on Oct. 20 in a building that was formerly the Fort Worth ISD Applied Learning Academy.
New Heights sprang from Senate Bill 2032, passed in spring 2023, which allows entities to create agreements between nonprofits, community colleges and adult charter schools to form adult high schools. The school allows adults 18 to 50 years old to simultaneously earn a high school diploma and certification in one of at least 10 career and technical programs.
School accounts for needs outside the classroom, too
Traci Berry, CEO and superintendent of New Heights, says the Fitzhugh Avenue location opened last year to more than 700 students and a waiting list beyond what they could imagine. She did not want to say ‘no’ to any person who wanted to come back to school.
New Heights is committed not only to students in the classroom but the whole person and their responsibilities with families and challenges in life that some people might take for granted, Berry said.
“Our students choose to come here, and they’re choosing to stay,” Berry said. “And it’s because we view them again as a whole person and give them whatever they need to succeed.”
The school operates like a college, with eight-week terms and an accelerated curriculum. Classes are in person, and there are multiple schedule options for weekday and day or night classes, based on the students’ needs. New Heights is free of charge.
Personal advising and coaching are available to help students with scheduling, along with classes on career choices and exploration, financial literacy and personal communication. There will be individual graduation plans, and supportive services to help students arrange childcare, mental health services, and transportation.
Mayor Mattie Parker said New Heights helps open doors to opportunity for future generations and allows people to come in and find not perfection, but progress in their lives.
“When we support parents, we support their children, and when we invest in families, we strengthen the foundation of Fort Worth itself,” Parker said. “So today, yes, we are opening a beautiful second campus at McCart. Let’s celebrate what that represents, not just for the students that will walk in these doors, but for our city that truly does love and believe in them.”
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 4:52 PM.
