VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Too many children are dying from drug overdoses and many feel more needs to be done early on.
News 3 has continued to follow through on the idea of a recovery high school in the region. This would be a school for kids with substance abuse disorders, offering specialized assistance to help them with their addiction.
After pushing for a recovery high school for years, advocates are now one step closer to making it a reality.
Previous coverage: Plans being finalized for first recovery school in Hampton Roads
One of the people in support of the school is Virginia Beach School Board Member Carolyn Weems. Her daughter, Caitlyn Weems, was a bright, beautiful young woman who died about 10 years ago.
“She actually got addicted to painkillers after a soccer accident," said Weems. "She was 14 years old."
Pills prescribed from a doctor for an injury turned into an addiction, and ultimately, a heroin overdose that ended her young life.
“When she was going through this, there were no resources for help,” said Weems.
The mother said there was little help available for kids, as most of the help was for adults.
Watch: Virginia Beach mother wants to create Recovery High School
Weems turned her family tragedy into a mission to help others. She's been working for six years to bring a recovery high school to our region.
“It’s needed so much because what we are doing as a society — here locally, statewide, and across the country — is just not working,” said Weems.
Weems said the recovery school would be called Harbor Hope Center. It would potentially be located in a section of the Adult Educational Services Center in Chesapeake.
The school would serve kids with substance abuse disorders who live in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach.
Students will receive therapeutic services, peer support, counseling, and mentoring.
The Virginia General Assembly approved $1.5 million for the program to be split with Loudoun County. Leaders are also applying for grants.
“For the first three years, there will be very minimal costs,” said Weems.
Watch previous coverage: Lawmakers discussing recovery high school in Hampton Roads
The costs for fighting a problem that’s killing so many Americans: In 2022, 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, the CDC reports. About two-thirds of those deaths were from fentanyl.
The new school aims to prevent deaths and give kids the help they need early on, when they need it most.
“I truly believe that if Caitlyn could have had something like this to go to, she would have had a fighting chance and her story, our story, could have been different,” said Weems.
The Virginia Beach School Board will vote on the issue on Jan. 28. The other districts are expected to vote before the end of the month.
Weems hopes to have the school open by this summer.
