PainCare and its affiliated branch, the New Hampshire Suboxone Program, announce their donation of $10,000 to Cocheco Arts and Technology Academy of Dover.
Cocheco Academy is a college preparatory public charter school dedicated to serving 9th through 12th grade with curriculum that integrates arts and technology into a rigorous academic program. At Cocheco Academy, students with varying learning styles thrive in small classes and are offered many individualized learning opportunities. It is one of approximately a dozen public high schools in the state to meet its Adequate Yearly Progress goals required by the No Child Left Behind Act. This year’s entire graduating class of fifteen seniors has been accepted into a college or university and have been offered over $320,000 in individual scholarships.
The average cost per student in New Hampshire’s public high schools is $12,000. Cocheco Academy receives $5,450 per student in state support and has no access to local property tax monies. This means that fundraising is a necessity in order to continue to offer a quality, tuition-free education to New Hampshire students.
Meeting this year’s fiscal needs has been especially challenging. Next year, Cocheco Academy is on track to enroll 90 students, which will greatly decrease their operating deficit. PainCare and NH Suboxone Program stepped up and offered to provide the monetary support needed to help bridge a serious gap in funding for this school year. According to Director Christy Cloutier Holmes, “We are thrilled to have this kind of community support for providing an outstanding educational option for our students. We will put PainCare’s generous donation to work right away supporting our dedicated teaching staff as we end an exciting year and prepare for our growth and expansion next year.”
PainCare sees this partnership with Cocheco Arts as a wonderful opportunity to roll out its long anticipated Initiative to educate students about prescription drug abuse, the inherent dangers in experimentation and minimizing the risks. Next year, PainCare and its affiliate, NH Suboxone Program, plans to make this educational program a part of the students’ wellness classes and to present in similar fashion to other schools in the seacoast area. Dr. John Schermerhorn, Medical Director of NH Suboxone Program said, “We are in the process of developing an educational program outlining the problems of drug abuse, the legal implications and the personal impact it can have on one's life. We plan on taking a somewhat different approach that is more personal, educational and, hopefully, more effective than past, dictatorial programs.”
To learn more about PainCare, its Initiative or the NH Suboxone Program, visit PainMD.com or NHSuboxoneProgram.com. For more information about Cocheco Arts and Technology Academy’s mission, or to inquire about enrollment, visit cochecoarts.org. Cocheco Arts is currently accepting application for the 2011-2012 school year.