The first known recovery high school opened in Montgomery County, Maryland, in April 1979. The Association of Recovery Schools (ARS) was formed in 2002, and the number of recovery high schools grew steadily through 2008, when there were 44 known RHSs in operation. Due in part to the recession, and a large number of school closures in one state, Minnesota, the number of schools declined to 32 in 2013. That year, the ARS accredited its first RHS, Ostiguy High School in Boston.  The number of schools has steadily grown since 2013.

Please note, the number of schools in operation at any one time is only an estimate, as there is currently no formal, institutionalized way of tracking school openings and closings.  The data for this chart was compiled by the Association of Recovery Schools.