Serramonte Feline High School Dedicated to Students with Species Dysmorphia Opens in San Francisco

For years, cat-dysmorphic high school students across the US have been denied their right to equitable treatment—no litter boxes, scratching posts in the hallways, or industrial-grade laser pointers for PE! Serramonte Feline High School in San Francisco aims to put an end to this mistreatment, giving feline-identifying students an education where their needs are put first. 

To get a better sense of the new high school’s target audience and objectives, The Spark sat down with its principal, Purva Felinopoulos. “Upon entering our establishment,” she explained in our interview, “students are made to feel fully at home exploring their species identity.” Furries in schools across the country have long been merely tolerated, but never truly accommodated, until now.

In Colorado, for example, a group of furries who call themselves the “animal avengers” express their species identity by walking on all fours, purring, barking, and eating with their faces in their food—these behaviours are core to expressing their identity, and were merely endured by the school district! That is not inclusion. The school fell vastly short of doing the responsible thing, opening dedicated facilities for this vulnerable section of the student population. Felinopoulos later went on to describe her horror at the way other secondary schools have actually shunned and demoralised students who don’t fit perfectly into the human species identity, for fear that supporting them would appear “too woke.” 

Her mission is to make sure students at Serramonte instead feel welcome to indulge their furry side. As the institution caters specifically to feline dysphoria, world-renowned architect and cat enrichment expert Sir Purrvane was hired to design the campus. Creating an environment that encourages students to hone their feline behaviours was a “key goal” according to the principal, resulting in innovative cross-floor interactive tunnels, netting along the walls, and biologically accurate cat costumes upon entry. 

Many parent groups have raised concerns about cornering students into a dysphoria box, citing research telling us species identity is in a constant state of flux. However, the high school has implemented a one-of-its-kind vetting process for all applicants seeking the prestige of Serramonte, to ensure an enriching furry environment. Criteria include a few years exhibiting therian behaviour, repeated urges to get on all fours or meow loudly, and regular grooming. An exclusive academy for the most trans-species students is set to open next year, complete with purring and feline manners courses, catnip sommelier training, and hydrophobia-tolerance therapy. With Serramonte High experiencing an unforeseen surge in demand, we are likely to see this new wave of specialised education expand. Felinopoulos explains canine and reptilian facilities are in the works, bringing much-needed unconditional support to the difficult life of a species dysmorphic.