Friday night lights might define most high schools, but Hilltop School for the Arts wants a different kind of spotlight.
The Litchfield Park school, 5356 N. Litchfield Road, held its ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning, becoming the West Valley's newest arts-focused public high school. Principal Julie Jones said the campus gives students a place where creative passions come first.
"Our mission is artistry and industry," she said. "Everything is taught through the lens of art. If we're working on linear equations, we're talking about how that applies to dance and movement on the stage."
Rather than treating art as an elective, Jones said Hilltop places students in course plans requiring multiple arts disciplines alongside core academics. Its theater also invites touring artists, such as the Righteous Brothers, to work directly with students on lighting, sound and recording.
Hilltop opened this school year with 160 students in grades nine through 12, and hopes to grow to 400 students. Litchfield Park is leasing the land for 75 years at $1 a year, funded partly by voter-approved bonds. The first graduating class is expected in 2030.
Jones said she's most excited about the school's professional preparations course, where students build resumes, demo reels and take portfolio headshots.
"Our goal is to make sure before they leave us, we already have them hooked up with an agent," Jones said.
