BOCA RATON, Fla. — This August, middle schoolers in South Florida will have a new option— a school specifically designed to be a safe space for LGBTQ+ students and others who've faced bullying or discrimination.
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The Acceptance Academy Community School is breaking new ground as the first of its kind in the region, offering hope to students who may have struggled to find acceptance in traditional school settings.
"There’s great excitement about what we’re doing,” said Stephen Gaskill, the president of the Acceptance Academy Foundation. "There’s also some skepticism, quite frankly, but we know that this is a school that deserves this place here in South Florida.”
Recent Florida laws have sparked heated debate about LGBTQ rights in schools, including the controversial Parental Rights in Education Act — which critics call the "Don't Say Gay" law.
"Whether it's the 'Don't Say Gay' law, book bans, or removing pride flags from schools... those kids feel that marginalization, and it impacts them directly," Gaskill explained.
Dr. Mindy Koch, the school's principal, emphasizes that this isn't just about creating a safe space — it's about helping students thrive academically. The school's approach focuses on problem-based learning that gets students excited about education by connecting lessons to real-world community issues.
“Problem-based learning makes them get out into the environment, into the community, and find something that really grabs them and excites them about the learning process," Koch said.
A 2025 study by Glisten, which specializes in queer education, reveals the challenges many students face:
- Two-thirds of LGBTQ students feel unsafe at school because of their gender or sexual expression
- Only one-third look forward to going to school
- More than half feel discriminated against at school
"When a student is spending all of their time, worrying about their safety and worrying about how they are being perceived or accepted by their peers they are not able to focus on their education, and therefore they’re not making the kind of academic gains that we want our students to make,"" said Tracey Labgold, Florida Education and Training Manager for Keshet, an organization supporting Jewish LGBTQ+ people.
Gaskill told Victor Jorges the school’s learning commitment will be the same as that of a “regular” school.
"There’s really no difference,” he said. “Other than that, the population that we’re serving is kids who need their own space and accepting adults who believe in who they are and will help them become successful adults on their own."
The school will share space with the Boca Raton Achievement Center on 2nd Avenue and is currently accepting applications for its August opening.
