In order to accommodate the growing population of high school age students in the Forsyth County district, a new high school– the Forsyth Alliance Academy of Innovation, will be opening for the 2018-2019 school year..  The Alliance Academy will offer pathways that are specific to desired careers and encourage classes that are focused on STEM ideals. Because the school plans to be significantly science-based and competitive, there will be no sports or art electives/extracurriculars and the school will review admissions of students by application only.

The Forsyth Alliance Academy of Innovation has its pathways laid out in a sort of college setting. There will be different schools which each containing different pathways, including:

• School of Aerospace & Logistics
  • Flight Operations
  • Distribution and Logistics
• School of Criminal Justice & Law
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Cybersecurity
  • Legal Services
• School of Healthcare & First Responders
  • Fire and Emergency Services
  • Emergency Medical Responder
  • Health Information Technology
• School of Hospitality & Design
  • Graphic Design
  • Hospitality and Tourism
• School of Mechatronics & Energy
  • Energy Systems
  • Mechatronics

Each school will have pathways within it with a three or four-year course plan as well as correspond with a CTSO (Career and Technical Student Organization). Incoming freshman are expected to have declared one main pathway and take all other major classes, including a math, science, world language, social studies, english and personal fitness credit, while sophomores are allowed to declare more than one pathway. The Alliance Academy is offering 16 AP courses, dual enrollment opportunities, potential industry certifications, honors mentorship programs and work-based learning opportunities.

This school is mainly focused on expanding science, math and technology education, which is the main reason the school is not offering sports or arts programs. However, each pathway and school will be associated with a CTSO including  DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America), FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition), HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), SkillsUSA and TSA (Technology Student Association).

Incoming freshmen and sophomores have already been accepted into the Alliance Academy and are confirmed to be attending during the 2018-2019 school year. Incoming freshmen, Isabelle Bonam, from North Forsyth Middle school, choose to apply, “… because of the..” potential for, “…opportunity, energy and comradery.” Bonam says she enrolled in the energy systems pathway because “[she] [wants] to help achieve a better future for the world.” She says she prefers to attend the Alliance Academy rather than North Forsyth High School because she is “looking forward to the immersion. This school is for people who already know what they want to do, want a leg up and are driven to work.”

Rather than attending North Forsyth High School, various incoming freshmen have transferred to this academy because, according to Evan Patterson, “The alliance is more in-depth and more geared to the specific things you want to do,” not because of the lack of opportunities at North High School.