Board of Education backs regional 'Harbor Hope' recovery high school for Region 2

The Virginia Board of Education on a unanimous vote approved a resolution supporting Harbor Hope Center, a regional recovery high school planned to open in August 2025 for students in early stages of recovery from substance use disorder in Region 2.

The resolution endorses a program developed by five Southside school divisions — Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Suffolk — and recommends continued collaboration with state agencies and community partners to support the school’s academic and clinical model. The presenter said the school will be centrally located at Chesapeake’s Educational Services Center and use a braided funding model that combines General Assembly planning funds, opioid abatement authority grants and local shared funding.

Why it matters: Recovery high schools provide day-school academic programming tied to on-site clinical supports for students returning from treatment or in early recovery. Supporters framed Harbor Hope as a regional approach intended to let students remain dual-enrolled in their home high school while receiving targeted therapeutic and academic services.

Program, partners and startup funding: Department staff said participating divisions developed the program’s mission, objectives and a dual academic/therapeutic framework in partnership with the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority, the existing Chesterfield recovery high school and Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Health. Presenters described a grant application that would bring approximately $2,459,000 over five years, direct settlement funds totaling $800,000 and an additional $1,500,000 grant that had been submitted and was expected to be decided in May. Chesapeake Public Schools pledged in-kind contributions estimated at almost $120,000 for facilities and startup support. Board materials and presenters said the regional steering committee expects to enroll about 30 students in year one and to grow to about 50 students by year five.

Board reaction and vote: Board members praised the regional collaboration. Member Rotherham called the regional approach “innovative,” and Superintendent Emily Ann Gullickson and others described the program as a model for combining academic and clinical services. The board voted to waive first review and adopt the resolution. Vote recorded in the meeting transcript: Kilgore — Aye; Northern — Aye; McPherson — Aye; Rotherham — Aye; Holton — Aye; Chair (Creasy) — Aye.

What’s next: Presenters said the steering committee will finalize staffing, agreements and enrollment procedures, pursue the opioid abatement authority funding decisions in May, and return updates to the board as the program develops.