Wallingford Alternative high school students may be moved

As published in the Record Journal on Tuesday April 9, 2013

By Eric Vo
Record-Journal staff
evo@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2235
Twitter:@ericvoRJ

WALLINGFORD - If approved by the Board of Education, the town’s Alternative High School program and the school system’s Central Office will switch buildings in a move prompted by security concerns.

The alternative high school, currently located in a building at 43 Hall Ave., would move to a wing of Sheehan High School now occupied by Central Office staff.

Board members and school administrators discussed the idea during the Operations Committee meeting Monday night.

The switch is being considered because of concerns that the level of security offered in a school building can not be provided in the Hall Avenue office building where the alternative high school is located, School Superintendent Salvatore Menzo said. Along with better security at Sheehan, there would be other benefits to students in the alternative program, Menzo said. The high school would provide a variety of services to the students, such as a career center, although alternative students would be separated from Sheehan students with their own entrance, cafeteria, bathrooms and lockers.

“I have complete confidence that the students will acclimate (to their new environment),” said Board of Education Chairwoman Roxane McKay.

Menzo described the process as “picking up a school and dropping it into another school.”

The Central Office staff would occupy the entire building on Hall Avenue, with teachers involved with curriculum taking the lower level; transportation and business departments on the main level; personnel and instruction on the second level; and the Board of Education and superintendent’s office on the third level, according to Menzo.

Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Jan Guarino said the board will vote on the proposal once Menzo receives final cost estimates. Menzo is working on organizing a meeting for parents next week.