South Windsor School Board Considers Alternative High School

South Windsor High School administrators are proposing the district create an alternative high school in the upcoming school year as a means to meet the needs of all students.

Some, who would benefit from the program, are dropouts. Others have unique family or personal challenges and some would simply benefit from a smaller learning environment.

“There are many, many stories as to why students need to leave high school. They are all heartbreaking…,” South Windsor High School Principal Daniel Sullivan said. 

Currently, teachers and staff are bending over backward to reach those students, to help them stay in school and get their diplomas. Sometimes, those efforts are successful and sometimes not.

In 2010, that number reached 25 students who dropped out of South Windsor High School. In the current school year, it’s only five. 

“We looked at a bunch of cases," Sullivan said. “There are certainly a bunch of kids in recent years for whom the program would have been a godsend. 

Sullivan and Associate Principal Frank Rizzuto presented the findings of a committee that studied the possibility of the alternative high school and how to pilot it. The committee looked at absenteeism, discipline trends, experience with South Windsor students and site visits to other districts’ alternative schools.

All but two other districts in South Windsor’s District Reference Group – or peer group – currently have alternative high schools, either during the day or at night. Some are held at the districts’ high schools, others are not. Some have their own site coordinator, teachers and support staff (like social workers) while others rely on existing staff.

Rizzuto said it was the committee’s recommendation to implement a pilot program immediately and then tweak it later, as needed, based on feedback.

The committee was “very passionate” about the program and felt strongly it was “of the utmost importance,” he said.

The committee recommended a Monday through Thursday evening program, which would be held between 4 – 7:30 p.m. at South Windsor High School.

Rizzuto said both that the program would utilize existing resources – the high school building, curriculum materials, technology and staff – and that next steps would include hiring staff and developing materials 

Sullivan declined to answer how teachers in the program might be paid and no cost estimate was given. Board of Education Chairman David Joy said that the proposal is included in Superintendent Kate Carter’s budget proposal, which would be presented later this month.

Students of the program, of which Rizzuto said he expected about 25, would still have to meet South Windsor High School’s graduation requirements.

The goal is to meet each student’s needs.

“Doing three plus hours straight of math, there’s going to be dialogue … things organically happen. Ultimately, the goal is to get kids learning, they know the teacher cares about them … and they’re going to feel supported. They’ll know they’re not the only ones with challenges, know they’re not alone,” he said.