What Is P.E.A.S.E. Academy?

P.E.A.S.E. Academy is a tuition-free public charter school located at 601 13th Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414, in the Dinkytown neighborhood near the University of Minnesota. The school serves students in grades 8 through 12 who are in recovery from substance use disorders.

P.E.A.S.E. stands for Peers Enjoying A Sober Education — a name suggested by students in the school’s earliest days, because it reflected what they were actually living. Founded in January 1989, P.E.A.S.E. Academy is the nation’s longest running recovery high school, and one of the only recovery high schools still operating in Minnesota today.

P.E.A.S.E. Academy is part of Minnesota Transitions Charter School (MTCS), a K–12 charter school district authorized by Pillsbury United Communities. The school is accredited, and graduates earn a Minnesota Transitions Charter School diploma recognized by all colleges, universities, and branches of the Armed Services.

P.E.A.S.E. Academy is open to qualifying students from any school district in Minnesota — not just Minneapolis. Enrollment is free.

Why a Recovery School Exists

Most high schools weren’t built for students in recovery. They weren’t designed with supporting youth in recovery in mind. The social environment, the unstructured time, the same peers from before treatment — all of it creates pressure that makes staying sober genuinely hard.

P.E.A.S.E. Academy’s longtime director Michael Durchslag puts it plainly: asking a student fresh out of treatment to return to a typical high school is like asking a recovering alcoholic to sit in a bar six hours a day, five days a week and not order a drink.

P.E.A.S.E. exists because recovery and education don’t have to be in competition. When students are surrounded by peers who understand what they’re going through — and supported by staff trained to help — both become possible at the same time.

That’s the idea. It’s been working since 1989.

What Makes P.E.A.S.E. Academy Different

A Fully Sober School Environment

Every student at P.E.A.S.E. Academy commits to an abstinence based approach to recovery as part of enrollment. That means students arrive each day to a school where everyone around them is working toward the same goal — and no one is pressuring them in the other direction. That environment is rare. For many students, it’s the first time they’ve experienced it.

Real Academics — Not a Watered-Down Curriculum

P.E.A.S.E. Academy is a real, accredited high school. Students take core subjects — math, English, social studies, and science — taught by fully licensed teachers. Electives are offered. Graduates leave with a diploma recognized by every college, university, and branch of the military in the United States. In a recent year, 83  percent of P.E.A.S.E. graduates applied to post-secondary programs — colleges, vocational schools, and beyond.

Recovery Support Built Into Every School Day

Recovery support isn’t a side program at P.E.A.S.E. — it’s woven into how the school day runs.

Every student has access to:

• A full-time Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) on site
• A weekly Sobriety Support Group with the counselor — required for all students
• Daily Peer Support Teams (PST) — small groups led by a teacher, where students support each other through the real challenges of daily life in recovery
• All-school check-in circles that build community and accountability together
• A full-time Licensed School Social Worker on site
• Animal Assisted Interactions with a partnership with Canine Inspired Change
• Monthly parent support groups facilitated by the school’s partnership with The Retreat 

Purposefully Small Class Sizes

Classes at P.E.A.S.E. Academy max out at 20 students. The average is much smaller. That means teachers know every student — not just their name, but their situation, their goals, and what they need to succeed. One-on-one attention during class time means less homework sent home, giving students time in the evenings to stay actively connected to the broader recovery community.

A Community That Gets It

When a P.E.A.S.E. student walks through the door, they’re surrounded by peers who understand what recovery actually feels like — not in theory, but in lived experience. As one alumnus put it: “I had no concept of what recovery truly was and no friends in recovery. P.E.A.S.E. gave me both those things.”

That peer connection is not incidental. It’s central to everything the school does.

What Happens If a Student Relapses?

Recovery is not always a straight line. P.E.A.S.E. Academy understands that — and our approach reflects it.

The majority of students enrolled at P.E.A.S.E. Academy do not experience a recurrence. But if a student does experience use, our response depends on honesty and the student’s commitment to change. When a student is honest about what happened and wants to continue their recovery, the school’s LADC works with the student, their family, and their support network to create a plan that allows them to stay enrolled and stay on track. An overwhelming percentage of students stay engaged in their recovery throughout any given school year.

If a student is actively using and not being honest about it, the school works with the student and family to get additional supports in place — and to stabilize so the student can return when they’re ready.

Our doors are never permanently closed. Because we know that recovery is a process, not a single decision.

Our History

The Nation’s longest running Recovery High School

P.E.A.S.E. Academy was founded in January 1989 in Minneapolis — before recovery high schools were a recognized category of education. Founded by Barb Schmidt, Ken Simon, and Joe Mailman with support from the nonprofit Holos Foundation, the school was originally called The Holos School.

Within weeks of opening, the students themselves renamed it. They wanted a name that reflected their actual experience — not the funding organization behind the school. A student proposed P.E.A.S.E.: Peers Enjoying A Sober Education. It stuck.

That fall, the school relocated to its current home in Dinkytown at the University Lutheran Church of Hope — a partnership that continues to this day. By the early 2000s, P.E.A.S.E.’s model had inspired 13 recovery schools across Minnesota. Most have since closed. P.E.A.S.E. remains.

In 2004, the school partnered with Minnesota Transitions Charter School — a move that helped it survive when other recovery schools in the state were closing due to budget pressures. Today, P.E.A.S.E. is led by Michael Durchslag, who joined as a social studies teacher in 1995 and became director in January, 2007. Under his leadership, P.E.A.S.E. has been recognized nationally — including an invitation to a White House Recovery Month summit — as a model for what recovery education can look like.

Over 35 years later, P.E.A.S.E. is still here. Still working. Still the only school of its kind in the country that has been.

Alumni Voice – In Their Own Words

Is P.E.A.S.E. Academy the Right Fit?

P.E.A.S.E. Academy may be a good fit if your student:

• Is in recovery from addiction to alcohol, drugs, or other substances
• Has completed or is currently engaged in a treatment program
• Wants to continue their education in a sober, supportive environment
• Is ready to commit to sobriety as part of their school community
• Is in grades 8–12 and lives anywhere in Minnesota

P.E.A.S.E. Academy is open to students from any Minnesota school district. Enrollment is free — there are no fees or tuition. The school also provides free bus cards for public transportation to all enrolled students.

The first step is a conversation. Families can schedule an informational meeting with Director Mike Durchslag or Dean of Students Catherine Holovnia. That meeting will walk through everything P.E.A.S.E. offers — academics, recovery support, daily life — and answer any questions. No commitment required to meet with us.

Frequently Asked Questions About P.E.A.S.E. Academy

Get Started with P.E.A.S.E. Academy