Hamden To Close 2 Schools In Restructuring Plan

HAMDEN, CT — The Hamden Board of Education unanimously voted Thursday night to close and re-purpose Shepherd Glen and Church Street elementary schools as part of its long-term restructuring plan. The school board also approved moving sixth-grade students into Hamden Middle School and moved to have the district take over the current Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet school building.

NBC Connecticut reports that the school closures will be done in phases with the hope that the restructuring project will be completed by the 2022-2023 school year. The town owns the Wintergreen building and the school board will need to petition the Legislative Council to have it transferred over to the district.

The decision to close the schools will impact more than 1,000 students and many parents spoke out against the move at Thursday night’s special meeting and threatened to move out of the school district, according to NBC Connecticut.

Several board members called the decision to close the schools difficult and painful, but necessary given the fiscal realities and declining student enrollment, according to the New Haven Register.

Mayor Curt Balzano Leng told the Register that the future of the Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet isn’t decided yet as he continues to negotiate with ACES officials over the building. Leng said that a potential sale could allow the town to pay for school construction and allow the magnet program to remain in place, according to the Register.

Read more at the New Haven Register here and at NBC Connecticut here.

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