CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Teachers, law enforcement and medical professionals are teaming up to bring a recovery high school to the Carolinas to help high school students hooked on drugs and alcohol.
David Stokes' fight with addiction started in middle school but he never felt comfortable sharing his battle with teachers.
“For me, I was scared,” the 18-year old said. “I would be labeled as ‘that kid.’”
Mary Farrell is the president of an effort to open Emerald School of Excellence, Carolina's first recovery high school.
“It is recovery built into the educational school day but smaller class size, movement and arts but not a watered-down curriculum, because that's what a lot of people think,” Farrell said. “That you're just there to keep them safe.”
The team is fundraising and fine-tuning details like a location, whether the school will be charter or private and tuition costs, but hope to open in 2020.
Stokes believes the effort could change students' lives.
“It would have helped me to refocus and become more aware of what my priorities in life should be,” Stokes said.
He's now clean and sober and hopes other addicted teens will have a chance at recovery too.
There are 40 recovery high schools across the country and leaders with Emerald School of Excellence recently visited one in Texas.
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