School, community and state leaders today cut a lime green ribbon to officially open the Chesterfield Recovery Academy, which is Virginia’s first recovery high school program. Video of the ribbon-cutting ceremony is available on YouTube (ccpsva) and Facebook (chesterfieldschools).
Housed at the Career and Technical Center @ Hull, the Chesterfield Recovery Academy is operated by Chesterfield County Public Schools and will open Aug. 22 with central Virginia Region 1 high school students who are in recovery from substance use disorders.
Chesterfield Recovery Academy students will receive the academic, emotional and social support necessary to complete their high school education and set a path toward continued success. Once enrolled, students may remain in the program as long as needed to ensure continued success. To be considered for enrollment, students should complete the interest form at https://oneccps.org/chesterfield-recovery-academy/.
In addition to Chesterfield County Public Schools, the program will receive assistance from health agencies, local and state government programs, police and legal agencies to help students navigate through recovery while working toward their high school diploma. The program is funded through legislation approved in June 2022 by the Virginia General Assembly and Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Chesterfield Recovery Academy coordinator, Justin Savoy, thanked everyone who helped turn the idea of a recovery high school program into reality: “On behalf of the future students of Chesterfield Recovery Academy, I say thank you for this ground-breaking space.”
“For the first time, central Virginia children who come out of treatment have somewhere to go that is designed to support them on their journey,” Chesterfield County Public Schools Superintendent Merv Daugherty said. “We are here to educate all children. You’ve probably heard me say ‘All means all.’ A recovery high school has been missing from our help-all-children philosophy — but it is no longer missing. And now central Virginia Region 1 is a role model for the rest of Virginia.”
Chesterfield County School Board Chair Ann Coker noted that “one step, one day, one success at a time” is the philosophy of the Chesterfield Recovery Academy and said, “One step, one day, one success at a time also describes the years-long process of creating this program to support students in recovery from substance use disorders. … Opening the Chesterfield Recovery Academy shows how our entire region benefits when we work together and collaborate to serve students.”
Region 1 covers these 15 localities: Charles City County, Chesterfield County, Colonial Heights, Dinwiddie County, Goochland County, Hanover County, Henrico County, Hopewell, New Kent County, Petersburg, Powhatan County, Prince George County, Richmond, Surry County and Sussex County.