One additional program of which the Academic School is particularly proud is the Fine Arts program. Gainesville State School was one of only three sites in the country to win a grant to develop and implement a pilot demonstration fine arts program within an institutional setting. This grant was funded through a collaborative effort between the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Students in this program have painted a multicultural mural on the school walls, and have performed their music and poetry at graduation ceremonies. The Academic School staff are extremely proud of the variety and quality of services it provides for the students at Gainesville State School.
Education is a critical component of the overall rehabilitation program.
We truly believe novelist Victor Hugo s assertion, that When you open a school door, that s the first step to closing a prison.