Fern Ridge School has been part of the Parkway School District since 1992, working to help ninth through twelfth grade students, including those with disabilities, succeed when conventional methods have failed. It is a non-traditional educational program of high quality academic and life-skills preparedness, in which we focus on the student as a "whole" person by placing equal importance on meeting each student's educational, social, and emotional needs.

Fern Ridge High School offers its students the same curriculum as that used in the district's four other traditional high schools. Fern Ridge offers all the core subjects and electives needed for graduation in the state of Missouri. The difference at Fern Ridge is in the delivery system of the subject information. Our curriculum delivery system has Constructivism as its foundation and utilizes Multiple Intellegences and Differentiated Instruction to meet the academic needs and learning styles of all learners at our school. We offer our students individualized instruction and small group instruction in all of our classes.

Fern Ridge is a school of choice and enrollment is limited to 110 students. Unlike other alternative schools, students cannot be sent to Fern Ridge by district officials, parents, or the court system. Students choose to come to Fern Ridge. The small size of the school enables the staff to create a climate of Belonging, Generosity, Mastery, and Independence. Staff strive to establish a personal, caring relationship with each student through their classes and Huddle.

There is an application and interview process for admission. Only students who demonstrate a commitment to change and personal growth are selected to attend Fern Ridge. These young people have taken a courageous step in choosing to leave the comprehensive high school, and they have done so with the goals of improving their academic standing and graduating from an accredited Parkway high school. In its' twelve years as a Parkway High School, Fern Ridge has helped over 336 students, who had failed to succeed in more traditional educational settings, graduate and move on to college, jobs, or military service.