Independence High School is an open campus high school founded in 1991 to enable Fulton County Public School students to complete their education in a setting that is different than a traditional school. Flexible course offerings make it possible to schedule a class around work schedules, parenting responsibilities or other extra activities.

What began as the Academy (school owned and operated by the neighboring Roswell Presbyterian Church) in 1840 was deeded to the city of Roswell in 1870 to serve as the Roswell Elementary School until the elementary students were relocated into a new and larger facility. In 1985 the North Fulton Alternative Center with a staff of only six teachers began in the abandoned elementary building to accommodate students expelled from traditional schools. In 1991 the Fulton County Board of Education adopted an open-campus philosophy for its two alternative schools to accommodate fifth-year seniors as well as other students needing alternative learning options to continue their education. That same year, the school added a daycare center and became Independence High School – named by the students who attended. In August of 2006, the Fulton County Board of Education relocated Independence High School to the site of the old Milton High School in historic Alpharetta to accommodate our growing needs.

Course offerings that began with only English, Social Studies, Math, Science and Business Education expanded to include Physical Education, World Languages, Family Resource Management, and various internships. The faculty and support staff has increased to over fifty. The facility expansion in 1997 included a new administrative/counseling suite along with science labs, computer labs, and additional classrooms.

Independence High School fulfills a critical need in the educational system, because it gives students more opportunities to succeed in school. At IHS we have a strong commitment to the personal, social, emotional, and academic growth of our students. Individualized instruction is the key to the program, because students receive instruction more appropriate to their personal learning styles. A variety of instructional models are offered such as student-guided, teacher-guided, and accelerated instruction to accommodate individual learning styles.

A benefit of the open-enrollment system at IHS is that students may enter, progress, and graduate without the time constraints of traditional quarters or semesters. Graduation is every day! Students can graduate at any time of the year, as soon as they master the course curricula and meet the Fulton County school district and state requirements for graduation.

Pictures of the Roswell Academy and Roswell Elementary School were provided by Fulton County Teaching Museum, North.