The Diocese of Allentown announced its plans to open the nation’s first Catholic-run high school for students recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.

The Kolbe Academy will open its doors next September to up to 90 ninth-12th grade students in need of an environment specifically designed to cater to recovery, where curriculum, staff and counselors are all focused on teens in need.

The school will welcome students in need from all faiths from all five counties of the Diocese: Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill, and beyond.

Diocese Department of Education Deputy Superintendent of Secondary and Special Education Dr. Brooke Tesche began work on the project two years ago.

“As I spent my career working, I’ve seen kids struggling with drugs and alcohol in their lives. And when these students struggle our teachers do their best to try to meet their needs. However despite their best efforts and the depth of their caring, the system is not designed for their needs,” she said, at a news conference Friday.

“We do have excellent resources in Lehigh and Northampton counties, but the majority of our providers’ expertise is working with adults,” she said, though both counties’ drug and alcohol offices have participated in the program’s development.

Such students are usually placed in special education or behavioral or emotional support programs, she said, in their school districts, where only about 20 percent of them are able to progress without relapse. Recovery high schools have around an 85 percent successful recovery rate, and offer continuous supports, Tesche said.

“Our children need a program that will specialize in the challenges they have. They need a recovery high school. The Lehigh Valley children deserve a recovery high school.”

Kolbe Academy will have a certified principal, teachers and support staff, and will be a tuition-based school at a cost of about $15,000-$16,000 per year. This is comparable to a standard Catholic education with recovery and counseling components. It is also about what a family might expect to pay for a month of treatment. Financial aid, grants and work directly with districts are all expected to be available to help make tuition affordable, Tesche said.

School days will be full — from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. — with transportation provided by student’s home districts or parents; the latter being mandatory for applicants from beyond the Lehigh Valley.

Referrals may come to the school from schools, parents, churches, the Diocese’ intermediate units or other referral agencies or providers, and applicants must have proof of a minimum of 30 days sobriety before they will be considered. Students of all faiths or none may participate.

Allentown Diocese Bishop Alfred Schlert, present at the event, said, “The Diocese of Allentown is blessed to be able to offer this, recognizing the need of so many families in the Lehigh Valley. All will be welcome here. Not because they are Catholic, but because we are Catholic, are we offering this service to the people of the Lehigh Valley and beyond.”

The Kolbe Academy will open at the former site of the St. Francis Academy on Bridle Path Road in Hanover Township, taking over the lease of Mullen Hall with Diocesan finances.