HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - The Arts Schools Network Board of Directors has named the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts an Exemplary School in recognition of its commitment to excellence. The five year designation is awarded for 2023-2028. 

Dedicated to excellence and leadership in arts education, Arts Schools Network (ASN), a non-profit association founded in 1981, provides arts school leaders, innovative partners, and members of arts education institutions with quality resources, support, and networking opportunities. ASN is the nation’s largest professional membership organization of specialized arts schools, awarding Exemplary School designations to members that follow A Guide to Assessing Your Arts School in strategically evaluating their school’s purpose, operations, and educational programs. The Guide is a collaborative effort by ASN and the Accrediting Commission for Community and Pre-collegiate Arts Schools (ACCPAS).

The Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts (HB APA) is a performing arts academy within a traditional high school setting, housed at Huntington Beach High School. APA provides an intensive educational program which cultivates in students the discipline, dedication, and passion necessary to achieve excellence in the arts. This program focuses on creating an inclusive atmosphere for young artists to realize and develop their own potential. 

At APA, ambitious young students can extend both their arts education and academic education simultaneously. Involvement in the Academy not only increases the self-esteem of its artists, but often raises their level of academic achievement, as 41% of APA students earn above a 4.0 GPA. APA offers college and career prep courses in Acting, Costume Design, Dance, Dramatic Production, Media, Musical Theatre, Popular Music, Orchestra, and Technical Theatre to over 650 students each year.

APA is a magnet arts program for the Huntington Beach Union High School District (HBUHSD) and has been selected by the California Department of Education as a Model CTE School in the Arts, Media, and Entertainment Sector.

Dr. R. Scott Allen, Managing Director for ASN, said, “We offer guidance, inspiration, and incentives to arts school leaders who strive for excellence in their schools. When they demonstrate outstanding efforts toward this goal, as they do by following A Guide to Assessing Your Arts School, we recognize and reward their achievements with this designation.” 

ASN will honor the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts at the Awards Ceremony during the ASN 2023 Annual Conference in Birmingham, Alabama.

HBUHSD is honored to house such a prestigious and exceptional performing arts academy as HB APA. The students and staff are the heart and soul of this award-winning program, and we are so impressed with their dedication to and love for the arts.

For information about HB APA please contact April Sharp at [email protected] or (714) 536-2514 ext. 51454.

For information about the Arts Schools Network please contact R. Scott Allen, Ed.D., Managing Director, at [email protected] or (832) 266-4241.