Hope Academy Recovery High School

What Hope Academy Recovery High School does

Hope Academy Recovery High School is a tuition-free public charter high school located in Indianapolis, Indiana, serving students in grades 9 through 12 who are dealing with substance use disorder. Founded in 2006, it is the only recovery high school in Indiana and one of approximately 45 nationwide, with accreditation from the Association of Recovery Schools. The school operates a year-round enrollment model and serves 35 to 40 students at a time (approximately 50 annually), drawing students from eight Central Indiana counties via free transportation, and has cumulatively served more than 800 students and produced over 200 graduates. Reported outcomes include 80% of students remaining on track to graduate, a 92% attendance rate, an 80% year-over-year retention rate, and a 40% GPA increase among students with more than 200 days of sobriety.

The school's core product integrates academic instruction with daily recovery support, mental health services, and occupational therapy under a proprietary cultural framework called The Hope Way. Supporting programs include the GPS after-school program, mental health therapy with 90% of students showing significant improvement, and the newly launched (March 2026) Family Engagement Center, operated in partnership with The Willow Center to deliver onsite outpatient behavioral health services and family education. The organization has 14 employees and does not operate a technology platform; instead, its differentiation rests on a specialized, high-touch clinical-educational model developed over 20 years.

Hope Academy is structured as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charter school under Indiana law. Funding comes from public charter per-pupil allocations, foundation grants, and individual donations. Major recent funding includes a $200,000 Lilly Endowment planning grant (October 2025), a $20 million 20th Anniversary Sustainability Campaign (launched November 2025), a $3 million gift from the Tom and Julie Wood Family Foundation (February 2026), and a $2 million Lilly Endowment implementation grant (March 2026) supporting five-year expansion of the Family Engagement Center. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors led by Chair Amy Levander, with Executive Director and Co-Founder Rachelle Gardner in day-to-day operational leadership since inception.

Name

Hope Academy Recovery High School

Legal name

Hope Academy

Website

https://hopeacademyrhs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hope Academy is a tuition-free public charter recovery high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, serving grades 9-12 students with substance use disorder by integrating academics, daily recovery support, mental health services, and family engagement programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recovery High School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Alternative & At-Risk Schools (Continuation, Credit Recovery, Juvenile) (EDAJACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emotional & Behavioral Disorders (EBD) / Therapeutic Day Schools (EDAKAAAC), Continuation & Credit Recovery Schools (EDAJAEAA), Transition Programs (Reentry, Workforce Readiness & Life Skills for At-Risk Youth) (EDAJAEAF), Substance Use Prevention & Recovery Services (EDALAFAE), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

Keywords

• Recovery high school
• Substance use education
• Charter school services
• Adolescent recovery support
• Tuition-free education

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Funding: As a tuition-free public charter high school, Hope Academy receives public funding through its charter status. This provides the core operational funding for educational services.
2. Foundation Grants and Donations: Major grants from Lilly Endowment Inc. including a $2 million grant for Family Engagement Center implementation and $200,000 planning grant. Donations from individual donors and organizations support sustainability and program expansion.
3. Campaign Contributions: The school is conducting a $20 million 20th Anniversary Sustainability Campaign, with the Tom and Julie Wood Family Foundation contributing $3 million as the largest gift in the school's history.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hope Academy Recovery High School is a tuition-free public charter high school in Indianapolis serving grades 9-12 students with substance use disorder. The school integrates a rigorous academic curriculum with daily recovery support services, mental health therapy, occupational therapy, and family engagement programming within a single sober, supportive campus environment. Students enroll year-round and receive coordinated care including counseling, recovery coaching, and college-readiness academic guidance.

Product overview

Hope Academy Recovery High School is a single-site educational institution offering a unified recovery-centered educational program rather than a modular software platform. The core offering is its tuition-free, accredited recovery high school (grades 9-12) in Indianapolis, which integrates academic curriculum with daily recovery support, mental health services, and occupational therapy. Key integrated services include the Family Engagement Center (outpatient treatment collaboration with The Willow Center), the GPS after-school program, and The Hope Way framework. Students receive comprehensive support through therapy, recovery coaching, and family engagement, all coordinated within the school environment. The school also offers eLearning Day virtual instruction for academic continuity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recovery High School Education Tuition-free, public charter high school education for grades 9-12 students with substance use disorder, integrating rigorous academic curriculum with daily recovery support in a sober, supportive campus environment. Year-round enrollment with free transportation across eight Central Indiana counties.
• Family Engagement Center Coordinated outpatient treatment and family engagement model in partnership with The Willow Center, offering onsite clinical services including assessments, treatment planning, intensive outpatient programming with integrated family education, and counseling. Phase 1 serves Hope Academy students; expansion to Marion County adolescents is planned.
• Occupational Therapy Program Therapeutic support program helping students develop life skills, emotional regulation, interoception (body awareness), executive functioning, and self-awareness. Integrates hands-on creative technology activities (3D printing, Cricut design tools) with therapeutic goals. Includes staff training workshops on sensory processing, emotional regulation, trauma, and identity.
• Mental Health Services Onsite mental health and therapeutic support services including individual and group therapy integrated with the academic program. 90% of students receiving services show significant improvement.
• Recovery Support Services Daily recovery support integrated with academics, including recovery coaching, group sessions, and peer support to help students maintain sobriety while completing their education.
• eLearning Day Program Virtual learning days allowing students to continue their education remotely when needed, maintaining academic continuity alongside recovery support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of students stay on track to graduate
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• The Willow CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026The Willow Center, a certified outpatient behavioral health provider, delivers onsite clinical services at Hope Academy's Family Engagement Center including assessments, treatment planning, and intensive outpatient programming with integrated family education. This partnership addresses the critical gap in Indiana's adolescent treatment system.
• Association of Recovery SchoolscoreOthersHope Academy is one of only 10-12 schools nationally accredited by the Association of Recovery Schools. The school contributes to the national recovery school movement by sharing best practices and serving as a model for emerging schools. Executive Director Rachelle Gardner serves as advisor to the association.
• F.A. Wilhelm ConstructionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction partner who built Hope Academy's original home inside Fairbanks Recovery Center. The Kenney family (led by former CEO Phil Kenney) has provided ongoing support including mentorship, event sponsorship, and community engagement for 20 years.
• University of IndianapolissupportingOthersCommencement ceremonies held at Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center on University of Indianapolis campus.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Northshore Recovery High School: One of the longest-running ARS-accredited recovery high schools, located in Beverly, Massachusetts. Directly comparable as a tuition-free public recovery high school integrating academics with daily recovery support for teens with substance use disorder.
• Insight Recovery High School: Recovery high school in the Las Vegas, Nevada area serving teens with substance use disorder through an accredited recovery-focused academic program. Directly comparable in mission, structure, and student population to Hope Academy.
• Brighton Recovery High School: Massachusetts-based recovery high school accredited by the Association of Recovery Schools. Closely mirrors Hope Academy's model of combining academic instruction with daily recovery support for adolescents in sobriety.

Others

• Fairbanks Recovery Center: Indianapolis addiction treatment organization that hosted Hope Academy's founding program in 2006-2007 and continues as a community partner. Comparable as the originating ecosystem organization in Hope Academy's history and ongoing referral network.
• The Willow Center: Indianapolis-area certified outpatient behavioral health provider and Hope Academy's strategic partner delivering onsite clinical services for the Family Engagement Center. Comparable as the closest ecosystem partner whose expansion is operationally tied to Hope Academy.

Broad incumbents

• Rosecrance: Multi-state nonprofit behavioral health provider offering adolescent residential, outpatient, and recovery support services. Comparable as an incumbent serving overlapping populations of teens with substance use disorder and co-occurring needs.
• Specialized Education Services / Camelot Education: National provider of therapeutic day schools and alternative education for at-risk youth, including students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Comparable as an incumbent operating alternative and therapeutic K-12 programs at scale, though not recovery-specific.
• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: The largest nonprofit addiction treatment organization in the U.S., with adolescent recovery programming and educational components. Comparable as a broad incumbent shaping the national adolescent recovery and education landscape in which Hope Academy operates.
• Caron Treatment Centers: National, nonprofit addiction treatment provider with dedicated adolescent programs that integrate clinical treatment and education. Comparable as a large-scale incumbent in adolescent substance use disorder services overlapping with Hope Academy's recovery-support mission.

Emerging players

• Monarch School Project: San Diego-based alternative K-12 school serving students impacted by homelessness and trauma. Comparable as a specialized K-12 model integrating wraparound social services with academics for at-risk youth, though focused on housing instability rather than SUD.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hopeacademyrhs
• Instagraminstagram.com/hopeacademyrhs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hopeacademyrhs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hope Academy Recovery High School