Independence High School, Provo: How Provo's Alternative High School Works, Who It's For and How to Enroll

Independence High School is Provo City School District's alternative high school, a small school at 636 North Independence Avenue for students who need a different path to a diploma: a smaller setting, more one-on-one attention, or a faster way to make up credits. It serves about 285 students a year in classes of 15 to 20, runs on trimesters, and holds graduation ceremonies during the school year as students finish, not just in the spring.

This guide covers who Independence is for, how to get in (it takes a referral), the schedule, the ways students earn credit, what support looks like, activities, and how to read its numbers. Details are from Independence High's website, read Nov. 13, 2026; enrollment and graduation figures are from the Utah State Board of Education. For Provo's two comprehensive high schools, see our Provo High and Timpview guides.

Quick facts

Who Independence is for

Independence's own pitch is simple: "Meaningful connections are vital to what we do," its mission statement begins. The school lists what it offers students:

• small classes and individual attention,
• attendance monitoring and social and emotional interventions,
• academic incentives, including PRIDE cards and prizes,
• "an inclusive culture that feels like family,"
• alternative ways to earn credit,
• expeditions and field trips, and customized options for individual students.

In practice, families usually come to Independence when a student has fallen behind on credits, is struggling in a big school, or needs more structure and adult attention than a 2,000-student high school can give. The school's stated goal on its "How to Succeed" page: "to help each student reach state academic standards and to earn their high school diploma," or pass the GED, and then move on to college, a trade, an apprenticeship, military service or a job.

How to enroll

Independence doesn't take walk-in registrations the way a neighborhood school does. According to the school:

• Students who live in Provo City School District can attend with a referral from their current school. Start with your student's counselor at Provo High, Timpview or another Provo school.
• Students who live outside the district should call the district at 801-374-4800 to ask about a referral.
• The school posts an IHS application and a student information form, in English and Spanish, on its counseling center page, along with an orientation that covers the school's commitments, ways to earn credit and policies.

One detail stands out: the school says a faculty and staff team visits each student's home. Expect a conversation with the family, not just paperwork.

Independence compared with Provo's big high schools

What enrolling looks like, step by step

1. Talk to your current counselor. For a Provo student, the referral starts at your current school. From outside the district, call 801-374-4800.
2. Fill out the application and the student information form, available in English and Spanish on the counseling center page.
3. Expect a home visit from a faculty and staff team, which the school does for each student.
4. Attend orientation, which walks through the school's commitments, the ways to earn credit and its policies.
5. Meet your Teacher Advisor and build a credit plan with a counselor, using the student's SEOP.

The schedule

From the school's information page:

The weekly early-out Friday gives teachers time for training and collaboration, the school says. Independence runs on trimesters rather than semesters, which lets students fit in more classes, and more credits, each year. It follows Provo City School District's calendar for breaks; this fall that meant fall break Oct. 21 to 26 and Thanksgiving break Nov. 26 and 27, with Nov. 25 a no-school comp day. Weather closures follow the district's announcements, and bus routes are listed through the district's route finder.

Our Utah County school calendars guide covers the district's year.

Ways to earn credit

This is the heart of Independence. Its counseling and "Why IHS" pages list several routes to a diploma:

• Trimester classes, with more chances each year to pass required courses.
• Extended summer school. Provo students at other schools who want summer credit recovery should ask their own counselor.
• Online classes and paper packets for students who need to work at their own pace.
• Work credit for students with jobs.
• Mountainland Technical College (MTECH): seniors can earn elective credit toward graduation, paying a class fee but no registration fee, and apply it toward certificates in areas like computer technology, multimedia graphics, building construction, hospitality, culinary, medical assisting, nursing assistant, dental assistant and veterinary assistant.

Graduation requirements are Provo City School District's standard 24 credits: 4 in English, 3 in math, 3 in science (biology, physical science and an elective), 2.5 in social studies (geography, U.S. government, U.S. history and world civilizations), 1.5 in fine arts, 1 in career and technical education, 0.5 each in computer technology, financial literacy and health, 1.5 in PE, and 6 in electives.

What support looks like

Independence describes a tightly structured school:

• Every student has a Teacher Advisor.
• Closed campus, a specific dress policy, no hall passes and a no-tardy policy, under a school-wide discipline policy and Provo's safe school policy.
• A comprehensive guidance program for every student, built around each student's SEOP (Student Education Occupational Plan).
• Language arts teachers are ESOL-endorsed, trained to teach English learners.
• Tutoring: GEAR UP tutors from UVU help students in math classes and after school.

Add the 15-to-20-student classes and the home visit, and the model is clear: more adults paying closer attention to fewer students.

Activities

Small doesn't mean nothing to do:

• Athletics: after-school volleyball, basketball and soccer teams, sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club of Utah County.
• JROTC, with a high adventure team, drill team, color guard, rifle marksmanship and a summer camp.
• Esports: a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate team practices Wednesdays from 3 to 4 p.m. and plays virtual matches against other schools from 4 to 5, with regional and state competitions. No experience needed.
• Lions in Action, a leadership class that runs Hope Squad kindness activities, plans school events, does service and mentors second graders at Amelia Earhart Elementary.
• After-hours academic classes, tutoring, clubs and, in season, skateboarding and snowboarding outings.

The numbers

The state's Oct. 1, 2025 count:

The school skews older, as alternative schools do: seniors are the largest group, because many students transfer in after falling behind. About 56% of students are Hispanic, about 61% are economically disadvantaged, and 115 are English learners, according to the same data.

The Class of 2025's four-year graduation rate was 68.8%, for a cohort of 80 students, with a 21.2% dropout rate. Read that number carefully. Utah's four-year rate counts students who finish within four years of starting ninth grade, and alternative schools enroll many students who arrive already behind. Independence also holds graduations during the year, such as its fall graduation on Oct. 7, 2026, for students who finish on a trimester schedule. Our graduation rates guide explains how the state counts.

Graduation, honors and life after high school

Independence holds more than one graduation a year. Its fall graduation was Oct. 7, 2026, at 5 p.m. at the school, for students who finished on the trimester schedule, and its spring ceremony for the 2025-26 school year was Thursday, May 21, 2026, at 7 p.m., with all classwork due by May 18. Counselors handle graduation eligibility and caps and gowns.

The counseling center's post-high readiness page lists two honors students can earn:

• the Seal of Biliteracy, tested at the school by invitation, for students proficient in English and another language,
• a Career Ready Pathway medal to wear at graduation, for students who meet the career-ready requirements.

The counseling center also posts scholarship and financial aid information, the course catalog, testing information and transcript requests, and runs an orientation for new students covering the school's commitments, ways to earn credit, and its tardy, hall pass, electronics, language and dress policies.

Alternative high schools across Utah County

Independence is Provo's alternative high school; the other districts run their own. In the state's Class of 2025 data, the county's alternative and smaller high schools reported these four-year rates:

As with any alternative school, the four-year rate understates how many students eventually finish, because many arrive behind. Ask each school how many students who enroll go on to graduate, at any point.

Policies families should know

The parents and community page links the school's rules in one place: a closed campus, a dress code, a cell phone policy, a tardy policy, a no-fighting and no-smoking policy, a student behavior contract, classroom expectations, an attendance policy, and bully prevention and nondiscrimination rules. It also links the school community council, school menus, free and reduced-price lunch applications, fee waivers and online fee payment. Read the behavior contract with your student before the first day; it sets the expectations the structure depends on.

Provo's other options

Independence is one of several paths beyond Provo's two comprehensive high schools. Provo City School District also runs an eSchool for online coursework across grade levels, East Bay, which provides post-high transition services, and adult education. Our Provo City School District guide covers them. Across the county, other districts run their own alternative programs, and Alpine's online East Shore school serves students in the north.

Questions to ask on a visit

• How many credits can my student realistically make up in a year, given where they are now?
• What does a typical day look like with trimesters and early-out Fridays?
• How does the Teacher Advisor relationship work, and how often will we hear from the school?
• Which MTECH programs are available to seniors, and how do students get there?
• What happens after graduation? Ask about the post-high school readiness help the counseling center offers.
• How does my student qualify for the Seal of Biliteracy or the Career Ready medal?
• Is there a bus from our neighborhood? Check the district's route finder, then ask the office.

What parents ask

Is Independence only for students who are in trouble? No. It's for students who need a smaller, more structured school or a faster way to earn credits, for many different reasons.

Will my student get a regular diploma? Yes. Independence awards a Provo City School District diploma with the same 24-credit requirement as other Provo high schools.

Can my student go back to Provo High or Timpview later? Ask the counselors at both schools; it depends on credits and timing.

Is there a cost? It's a public school; there are standard school fees, which can be paid online, and fee waivers for families who qualify.

Related guides

• Provo City School District guide
• Provo High School guide
• Timpview High School guide
• Utah County high school graduation rates
• School boundaries and open enrollment

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