A new kind of high school could open in the St. Louis area next year for teenagers who are recovering from drug or alcohol abuse.

Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a law in July authorizing public money for up to four “recovery high schools” in Missouri. For years, advocates in the St. Louis area have worked behind the scenes — lobbying lawmakers, securing money from opioid settlements to cover startup costs and hiring a consultant — to establish the first such school in the state.

The proposal for Vivo St. Louis was submitted two months ago to Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. If approved, it would be patterned after a school in Denver, with small class sizes, specialized staff and daily peer-led support meetings. Students would not pay tuition.

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