New Haven Public Schools unveils plans to merge two schools
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WFSB) - Faced with fewer students and limited resources, New Haven Public Schools is unveiling plans to merge two schools.
Right now, there are only about 200 students at Wexler Grant School, a K-8 school.
They would move to Lincoln-Bassett School about a mile away.
The merger comes with the school district facing a huge budget deficit.
“It’s unfortunate, it is what it is,” said Niesha Johnson, New Haven.
Johnson’s son is a first grader at Wexler Grant.
“I’m going to miss the school that he was in. Hopefully, change is good,” Johnson said.
The merger will start next fall, creating a single pre-k through 8 school serving roughly 450 kids.
“We’ve been dealing with a pattern of declining enrollment. This is an opportunity to think about the limited resources I know I’m going to have moving forward,” said Dr. Madeline Negron, New Haven Superintendent.
Superintendent Negron says that includes facing a $23 million funding gap for next year.
This merger won’t save millions, likely $500 thousand, but she says the single school community will be better for the students and staff.
“The power educators coming together, so they’re not isolated. Through this merger, I’m going to be able to do that. Instead of having one classroom per-grade level, this will now allow me to have 2 classrooms per-grade level in one building,” she said.
As the merger moves forward, the idea is to bring both the Dixwell and Newhallville school communities together this spring.
“Change is always a little hard,” said Mayor Justin Elicker, (D), New Haven. “We want to make sure families are engaged in the process, whether it’s change in schedules, to whether it changes it’s mission, to even the school’s name in the future.”
Mayor Justin Elicker says the city has continuously increased its school funding, but feels the state needs to as well.
With limited financial resources and 41 schools, New Haven’s superintendent says this is likely just the beginning.
“I need to put together a capital plan that speaks about how we’re going to renovating facilities, but we also need to think about what other mergers we need to do, closures we need to do,” she said.
While the merger moves forward with the 2 elementary schools, the plan is to turn Wexler Grant into an alternative middle school focusing on project based learning for New Haven students that are currently being placed out of district.
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