Horizon High School follows the Alabama State Course of Study and used the textbooks adopted by  Decatur City Schools.  The Diploma Program follows the curriculum used at Austin High School and Decatur High School.  The method of presentation differs greatly from methods  traditionally used.  Material presented is individually paced, allowing students to complete the semester in the traditional eighteen weeks.

Each semester class is divided into daily units.  Each unit consists of a daily lesson or test.  Any daily lesson (but not tests) must be completed at the 70% level before the student can move to the next unit. 

Students complete one unit per day for each class.  Units are turned in and graded daily.  Students who miss a unit due to absence or poor performance must make up the unit before earning a grade for the unit.  The unit may be made up by attending school outside the student's normal school day.  As many as ten units missed due to excused absences may be made up without increasing class time.

The Horizon High School Diploma Program is small enough to allow individualized presentation of education material.  Students taking different related courses will meet in the  same classroom.  For example, the history teacher may have students taking economics, Alabama history, and government at the same time.

Three week progress reports and six weeks report cards are mailed to the student's home.  Parental involvement is encouraged and important to a student's academic success.

The 9th Grade Academy program was established in 2005.  The program is designed to assist students who are retained in the 8th grade recover his/her academic standing.

The 9th Grade Academy follows the Alabama Course of Study and uses the textbooks adopted by Decatur City Schools.  The 9th Grade Academy follows the curriculum used at Austin High School and Decatur High School.  The traditional methodology of instruction is used when presenting the curriculum.  The small setting allows for more individualized instruction which impacts the student's ability to understand the material.

Students attending the 9th Grade Academy have the opportunity to earn 9th grade credit.  Upon successful completion of the academic year, the students return to their assigned high schools as 10th graders.

Senior students who attend Decatur City Schools and need credit(s) to graduate, may take up to two additional semester core courses during the afternoon/evening at Horizon.  The four core subjects are offered Monday through Thursday.

The Night/Guest program uses the instructional methodology and curriculum units as the Diploma program.  Students attending the Night/Guest program must pay tuition.

The Horizon Summer School program is open to students who regularly attend Horizon High School or the Center for Alternatives to Expulsion.  Austin High School and Decatur High School students may be admitted under extenuating circumstances.  The four core subjects are offered during the Summer School program.  Students may take a maximum of three semester courses.

The Summer School program uses the instructional methodology and curriculum units as the Diploma program.  Students attending the Summer School program must pay tuition.

The Pregnancy Homebound program offers a pregnant student the opportunity to enroll at Horizon High School for the length of the pregnancy.  The student attends classes at Horizon High School until the delilvery of the baby or the doctor orders her to go on homebound.  At that time, the student is given the work to complete at home.  Following the birth of the baby, the student my continue at Horizon or return to her home school.