Independence Academy, a new high school for young people addicted to drugs or alcohol, is the first such school in Southeastern Massachusetts.
► Officially opened in January.
► Operated by the North River Collaborative.
► Located in a 9,000-square-foot facility at 460 Belmont St., Brockton.
► Funded with $500,000 per year in state Department of Public Health grants and with tuition from the students’ school districts.
► Capacity of up to 50 students, ages 14 to 21, from communities south of Boston. Students must have completed substance abuse treatment.
► Small class sizes and individualized instruction.
► Partners with High Point Treatment Center, which provides on-site services; Massasoit Community College, offering dual enrollment options; Old Colony YMCA, offering free membership to all students; Brockton Neighborhood Health Centers; and the Brockton Area Multi-Service Agency.
► Eight school districts in service area: Abington, Avon, Bridgewater-Raynham, East Bridgewater, Hanover, Rockland, West Bridgewater, and Whitman-Hanson.
Sources: Brockton Public Schools; North River Collaborative; Executive Department, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
