Oregon's first 'recovery high school' opens in Lake Oswego

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. — Starting this school year, the Lake Oswego School District is offering a new option for students who struggle with addiction.

Harmony Academy is Oregon’s first “recovery high school.”

Founders and board members for the school say it’s modeled after successful recovery high schools in Houston.

They say at those schools, 70% of students were clean and sober a year after enrolling.

The principal of the Harmony Academy, Sharon Dursi Martin, says addiction doesn't have to be the end of education.

"A lot of kids are expressing that they feel like they ruined opportunities or they burned bridges or they're not welcome here, and I want them to see that that's reparable, as long as you're alive, you can change the course of your life," she said.

Dursi Martin says students will be drug tested while enrolled, though drug use doesn't end with expulsion -- but rather a conversation and a path back to recovery.

The academy also has the same graduation requirements as other Oregon high schools.

The school is located on the campus of Marylhurst University and is open to students who live in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties.