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This isn’t your typical high school.

Students at 5280 High School, one of the largest recovery high schools in the country, address teachers by their first names. Bookshelves and couches line the hallways in place of lockers, and kids learn in airy, open-concept classrooms.

Started in 2018, the school serves students who struggle with substance and alcohol abuse, self-harm and other self-destructive behaviors.

Junior Emma Taglione transferred to 5280 High School from a public high school in Parker two years ago. She has been sober ever since. She said she feels supported by the like-minded community that surrounds her.

“I think if I was [still] at a public school, I could not have gotten sober,” said Taglione.

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