In my quest to find the “hidden gems” in Cape May County schools, I recently had the opportunity to visit a very special school in the area. The student body is composed of high schoolers who suffer from addiction and have completed a rehabilitation program, but who want to commit to alternative education rather than return to their regular high school setting. It is truly a place of hope and opportunity for these young people.

Coastal Preparatory School was founded in 2017 when a $500,000 grant was awarded to the Middle Township School District by the state to create a Recovery School in the area. It became the third such school in the state.

The purpose of these schools is to provide an academically sound, supportive and safe environment to serve high school students who are navigating their way through recovery. Before being accepted into the program, students have to decide if they want to commit to this alternative education, and they must make it a personal goal to be drug-free. They are voluntarily drug tested twice a week.

Once they have been accepted into the program at Coastal Prep, they follow the state-approved academic requirements in order to receive their high school diploma. Their attendance, academic progress and required state testing are all routinely submitted to their home school district.

Their academic days consist of classes in art, science, English, Spanish, history, physical education and math, as well as individual and group counseling sessions. Their teachers, many of whom have been touched by addiction, are part of their closely knit family who travel through recovery with them.

One of them gets to school before the kids and makes them a healthy breakfast to start their day. I was touched by the sincerity, love and positive relationships that I witnessed during my visit.

As I was making my way out of the school, I couldn’t help but think how fortunate we are to have this very special school in our midst. I asked Dr. Toni Lehman, who oversees the program, to tell me how she would describe the school.

Without hesitation, she said it is a place of hope and opportunity. Not only is it a wonderful opportunity for the students who attend, it is also making our community a better place to be.

Please reach out to me with any educational “gems” that you would like me to bring to the public’s attention, janemcconnell49@gmail.com.