Phoenix Recovery Academy

What Phoenix Recovery Academy does

Phoenix Recovery Academy is a nonprofit recovery high school located in downtown Frederick, Maryland, operating under the Phoenix Foundation of Maryland umbrella. Founded in August 2020, it is the only Recovery High School in Maryland, serving students in grades 9-12 who are recovering from substance use disorder and co-occurring conditions such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD. The school combines state-diploma-eligible secondary academics with a 12-step-based recovery program, Individualized Recovery Plans, on-site peer and multi-family support groups, an open adolescent meeting, random drug testing, and partnerships with treatment providers, probation officers, and the Drug Treatment Court. Class size is capped at 10 students to maintain a low student-to-teacher ratio, and the school runs on a rolling admissions, year-round academic calendar with four grading terms plus a summer term and credit recovery options.

The core product is the recovery high school itself, supplemented by an Alternative Peer Group program that extends after-school and weekend sober recreational activities to enrolled students and to local public high school students. There is no proprietary technology platform; the academy uses Gradelink as a standard student information system for enrollment. Revenue is generated through a $1,150 monthly tuition per student (subscription/recurring model, with need-based financial aid), plus a diversified charitable giving stack that includes general donations, memorial donations, recurring "Partner In Hope" donations, named scholarship funds (Mark Kavanaugh Endowed Scholarship Fund, Mike Rice Scholarship Fund), Amazon Smile, planned/legacy giving, and an annual Stomp Out Heroin 5K fundraising event. No external venture or private equity capital is involved.

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer within Maryland: families move through a four-step enrollment process (review criteria, tour, Gradelink application, tuition agreement), with student referrals sourced from community networks, treatment providers, intensive outpatient programs, and the Drug Treatment Court. The school is governed by a seven-member volunteer Board of Directors and operates with a small staff led by Principal Stephanie Purdy and Alternative Peer Group Program Director Megan Adkins. Marketing is primarily organic — Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, a monthly "Phoenix Flyer" newsletter, and event-based community outreach — with no paid acquisition or app presence.

Name

Phoenix Recovery Academy

Legal name

Phoenix Recovery Academy

Website

https://phoenixrecoveryacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Phoenix Recovery Academy is a nonprofit recovery high school in Frederick, Maryland, serving grades 9-12 students recovering from substance use disorder with integrated academics, 12-step support, and small classes. Founded in 2020, it is the only such school in Maryland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recovery Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative Schools (Behavioral/Disciplinary & Nontraditional Settings) (EDAJAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Court/Community School Programs (Diversion, Probation-Linked, Community Day Schools) (EDAJAEAI), Credit Recovery Programs (Online/Blended/Packet-Based) (EDANAJAE)

Keywords

• Recovery high school
• Substance use education
• Adolescent recovery support
• Alternative peer group
• Secondary education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Frederick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Monthly tuition of $1,150 per student, payable in advance of each month. First two months of tuition due upon enrollment. Need-based financial aid available for qualifying families.
2. Scholarship Donations: Memorial scholarship funds established in honor of deceased individuals (Mark Kavanaugh Endowed Scholarship Fund, Mike Rice Scholarship Fund) to provide financial support for students to attend the academy.
3. General Donations and Fundraising: Various donation mechanisms including general donations, memorial donations, Partner In Hope recurring donations, Amazon Smile, and fundraising event proceeds (e.g., Stomp Out Heroin 5K).
4. Planned Giving: Legacy giving opportunities allowing donors to include Phoenix Foundation of Maryland in wills and estate plans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Phoenix Recovery Academy operates a private recovery high school that delivers state-recognized secondary education (grades 9-12) integrated with 12-step based recovery support for adolescents recovering from substance use disorder. The school provides tuition-based enrollment, Individualized Recovery Plans, on-site peer and multi-family support groups, an adolescent open meeting, an Alternative Peer Group after-school program, and credit recovery on a year-round academic calendar.

Product overview

Phoenix Recovery Academy operates as a single unified offering: a recovery high school providing integrated educational and recovery support services for students in grades 9-12 recovering from substance use disorder. The core service is the recovery high school itself, supplemented by the Alternative Peer Group program for after-school recreational activities, peer support groups, multi-family support groups, and adolescent meetings. The school follows a 12-step recovery model with program principles including honesty, hope, faith, love, integrity, wellness, spirituality, service, discipline, perseverance, humility, and courage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Phoenix Recovery Academy (Recovery High School Diploma Program) Tuition-based recovery high school for grades 9-12 delivering a Maryland-recognized secondary diploma integrated with 12-step recovery support, Individualized Recovery Plans, daily check-in and closing sessions, brief counseling, random drug testing, credit recovery, and a year-round academic calendar (four terms plus summer) for adolescents recovering from substance use disorder or co-occurring disorders.
• Peer Support Group On-site community peer support group for parents and grieving parents, providing mutual support and resources related to adolescent substance use disorder and recovery.
• Multi-Family Support Group On-site support group led by a licensed clinician offering structured support to Phoenix Recovery Academy students and their families navigating recovery.
• Adolescent Meeting On-site open 12-step meeting for anyone under 18 seeking support in recovery, accessible to students and to adolescents from the broader community.
• Alternative Peer Group Program After-school and weekend recreational program delivered in a safe, structured, sober environment, open to Phoenix Recovery Academy students and to local public high school students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Student-to-teacher ratio never exceeds 10 students per class
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Northshore Recovery High School: An independent recovery high school in Beverly, MA serving grades 9-12 students in recovery from substance use, with a low student-to-teacher ratio and integrated recovery programming. Operates as the only recovery high school in its region, mirroring Phoenix Recovery Academy's position in Maryland.
• Augsburg Fairview Academy: A recovery high school in Minneapolis, MN operated by Augsburg University that serves adolescents in recovery from substance use disorder with small classes and integrated recovery support. Highly comparable to Phoenix Recovery Academy in mission, target population, and operational model, though it sits within a university structure rather than an independent nonprofit foundation.
• The Academy of the Sierras (Aspire Academy): A residential therapeutic education program serving adolescents with behavioral health and substance use challenges. Comparable in serving the at-risk youth population with integrated academic and recovery/therapeutic support, though its model is residential rather than day-school.
• LearnWell: A provider of educational services to students receiving treatment in hospital and residential settings, including those with substance use disorders. Comparable in delivering secondary education to adolescents in recovery contexts and represents an adjacent operating model to Phoenix Recovery Academy's in-school approach.
• Sobriety High / Sobriety High Plus: A Minnesota-based recovery high school organization operating multiple campuses serving adolescents in recovery. Directly comparable in offering secondary education plus recovery support for teens, with a multi-site model that illustrates the replication path available to Phoenix Recovery Academy.
• The Willows Academy: A recovery high school in Denver, CO serving teens recovering from substance use and co-occurring disorders with small classes and recovery-integrated academics. Closely comparable in target population, recovery model, and small-class structure to Phoenix Recovery Academy.

Broad incumbents

• Caron Treatment Centers: A national nonprofit addiction treatment provider with adolescent and family programming and education-support services. Comparable in mission orientation and target population, though much larger and focused on treatment rather than running a dedicated high school.
• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: A large national addiction treatment provider that operates educational and youth programs including recovery-supportive schooling components. While its primary focus is treatment rather than standalone secondary education, it serves the same adolescent recovery population and represents a potential partnership or referral counterpart for Phoenix Recovery Academy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbjIVoAK-DZoBo6vcBbNoYw
• Instagraminstagram.com/phoenixfoundationmd/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phoenix-recovery-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Phoenix Recovery Academy