The Pioneering Effort of 5280 High School in Recovery Education

Inside Denver’s 5280 High, one of the country’s few recovery high schools

How Peer Support and Comprehensive Programs are Transforming Lives of Teens in Recovery

5280 High School

Every weekday at 5280 High School in Denver starts the same way. Students in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction gather on the steps of the school’s indoor auditorium. They discuss a topic chosen by staff members. One recent morning, they talked about mental health and sobriety. A teenage boy dressed in tan corduroys, a black hoodie, and sneakers went first.

“I didn’t want to have, like, any emotion,” he said. “I thought the best way to suppress it was to use more drugs repeatedly.”

Another classmate shared that she initially started using drugs for fun, only to become hooked. A third student discussed how addiction negatively affected his mental health. A fourth student proudly announced an upcoming milestone. She said, “In, like, two days, I’ll be six months sober.” Her classmates cheered.

These students attend Colorado’s only recovery high school — one of 43 nationwide. 5280 High School is designed for students recovering from substance use disorder. It also supports those with related mental health challenges. It opened in 2018 as a public charter school and today enrolls more than 100 students. The school’s mission is clear: help kids learn to live a substance-free life while receiving a comprehensive education. This includes attending recovery meetings and wellness activities, alongside traditional high school classes like English, math, and Spanish.

“They can go on to college or a career. They can really handle anything that life throws at them,” said 5280’s founder and executive director, Dr. Melissa Mouton.

The effectiveness of recovery high schools is notable. Compared with their peers at regular schools who have gone through treatment, recovery high school students have better attendance. They are more likely to stay sober. They also have a graduation rate at least 21% higher. “For these young people with disorders, it can be a lifesaver,” said John Kelly. He is the director of the Recovery Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital. “It can help them create a social norm of recovery.”

Sophomore Alexis Castillo, 16, is one of those benefiting from 5280’s unique approach. She is in recovery for alcohol and fentanyl addictions. Several of her friends attended the school when she enrolled during her freshman year and initially loved it. But after a while, some of Castillo’s friends left and she grew disillusioned. She stopped going to class and wasn’t motivated to work her recovery steps.

“They give you a lot of accountability,” she said. “That was not something I wanted.”

Castillo relapsed and school staffers helped her get into rehab. Three months later, she was back at the school, in recovery and ready to do the work.

Keith Hayes is the director of the recovery program at 5280 High School. He plays a crucial role in guiding students through their recovery journey. “Our goal is to help students build a foundation for a sober life while they finish their education,” he said. “We give them with the tools and support they need to succeed.”

Recovery schools often integrate components of treatment into the school day, like 5280’s daily recovery program meeting. In the afternoon, the school offers wellness electives including spiritual principles and journaling. The school also employs a director of recovery and a recovery coach to work with and counsel the students individually. Brittany Kitchens, the school’s recovery coach, teaches students how to navigate recovery and regulate their emotions. She likens herself to a hall supervisor, constantly checking in with students and looking for changes in behavior.

“I tend to be the first kind of line for the kids. They come to me when they’re experiencing something overwhelming. It’s just a little bit too big for them to process,” she said.

5280 High School, like other recovery high schools, faces challenges. Most of these schools are publicly funded charter or substitute schools. They have higher educational costs due to smaller enrollment. Extra reasons include the need for mental health and recovery personnel and higher faculty-to-student ratios. Other factors also contribute to the increased costs. The Denver school enrolls about 100 students annually, making it one of the biggest recovery high schools in the nation. This year, the per-pupil cost is about $25,000 per student. Yet, the school receives only about $15,000 from federal, state, and local funding. The remaining money comes from donors.

Education aids recovery at 5280 High School

Given the complex needs of the students, “recovery schools will always be small,” Mouton said. The school purposely keeps enrollment under capacity so extra teens can enroll anytime during the school year. A student won’t get kicked out if they relapse. But, there are two requirements. They must want to be sober. They must also attend an outside recovery program.

“The No. 1 step is to let them know right away that we love them,” Kitchens said. “We do this no matter what’s going on. We are here for them.”

Alexis has been in recovery for nearly a year. The morning meetings offer a chance for her and her classmates to talk about mental health, sobriety, and other topics. These meetings help build a community of friends. These friends support one another. She said she didn’t have this community when she was using drugs.

“It’s really hard to get sober young,” she said.

5280 High School, through its pioneering peer-based approach, is making a significant impact on the lives of its students. It helps them navigate the challenges of addiction and recovery. This also provides a path to a brighter future.

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