Regional recovery school proposal presented to Virginia Beach board; vote scheduled for Jan. 28

Virginia Beach school officials on Tuesday received a detailed proposal to open the Harbor Hope Center, a regional recovery high school that would serve students from Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Suffolk.

The presentation, led by Robert (Bobby) Jamieson, executive director of student support services, described a model that blends academic instruction with clinical and peer recovery services and would operate under a regional memorandum of understanding with Virginia Beach acting as fiscal agent.

The board was told the Harbor Hope Center is voluntary and intended for students in active recovery from substance use disorders. Under the plan, students would attend a hybrid academic program — including a multidivision online platform for coursework, credit recovery options and a GED pathway — while also receiving clinical counseling and peer-support services. Jamieson said students would receive at least one to two 30-minute individual sessions per week with a licensed clinician and one to two 30-minute peer recovery specialist sessions weekly, in addition to daily therapeutic groups.

Why it matters: Presenters cited research indicating recovery high schools can increase graduation rates, lower dropout and absenteeism rates, and reduce…