Once accepted, students sign an enrollment agreement stipulating, among other things, that the student will enroll in five classes and earn credit in each class, will not use drugs or alcohol, will not fight on or within two blocks of the school, and will treat all people at the school with respect and dignity. Enforcement of that last rule has been easy. Holloway says, We haven t had a fight here on school grounds since we opened ever. A walk through Aurora s halls confirms the cohesiveness of the place. Although the school is vastly different from traditional high schools with its small class sizes and personal attention, some things remain the same.
Kids cluster in the halls between periods.
Murals adorn the walls. The math room sports a sign with the words, Where there is math, there is geometry. Kids laugh, they listen to their teachers, and they form friendships and realize success they perhaps wouldn t have at a local traditional high school such as Bloomington High School North or Bloomington High School South. Expelled from Bloomington High School South two years ago, Carter discovered Aurora and now has plans to attend Ivy Tech State College or Vincennes with the hope of someday working in radio. Aurora is a lifesaver it saved my education.