Plan To Close Schools Meets Opposition In Wallingford

WALLINGFORD, CT — While no action was taken on the possible restructuring of Wallingford’s school facilities at Monday night’s Board of Education Operations Committee meeting, board members showed little support for consolidating the town’s two middle schools, according to the Meriden Record-Journal. However, they were more open to the idea of combining the town’s high schools.

Several hundred people, including about 150 unionized teachers, attended Monday night’s public hearing that lasted more than two-and-a-half hours, according to the New Haven Register. The six alternatives recommended by Cheshire-based consultant Milone & MacBroom were discussed during the meeting. The majority of the crowd urged the school board to maintain the status quo, the Register reports.

The six proposals include maintaining the status quo; renovating the two high schools and addressing the capital needs at both existing middle schools; developing themed pathways (6-12) and renovating all four schools; reconfiguring to a junior high school model; two themed high schools with one middle school; and a one high school, one middle school model. The cost of the options range from a low of $17 million to a high of $117 million, according to the Register. The full feasibility study can be found here.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Salvatore Menzo was opposed to consolidating the middle schools, saying a combined Dag Hammarskjold and Moran middle school would be the largest middle school in Connecticut and there’s “no way that would work,” according to the Record-Journal. He didn’t comment on the other five proposals, the Record-Journal reports.

The Board of Education is expected to eliminate some of the proposals at next week’s meeting.

Read more at the Meriden Record-Journal here and the New Haven Register here.

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