Community voices hopes, concerns for future of city's high schools

By TYGER ALLEN
Posted 2/18/20

By TYGER ALLEN There was a level of optimism mixed with a dash of skepticism and plenty of questions as to how it could all work Wednesday at the first of two public workshops on planning for the future for Toll Gate and Pilgrim High Schools. More than

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Community voices hopes, concerns for future of city's high schools

Posted

There was a level of optimism mixed with a dash of skepticism and plenty of questions as to how it could all work Wednesday at the first of two public workshops on planning for the future for Toll Gate and Pilgrim High Schools.

More than 60 people, seated at luncheon tables in the Pilgrim cafeteria, divided into groups of six to consider whether the city should have a single high school, keep the existing set-up or have a single school with two campuses.

The number of schools, however, is one issue with the greater part of the discussion focused on how education needs to change to better prepare students for today and the future. Groups considered such issues as whether classes should start later in the morning as high school students are just waking up at 7:30, to the layout of classes with the creation of “collaboration” between classes.

There were questions over costs as well as how the schools would continue to operate through a period of transition.

Some hopes for the future of the high schools were that there are accommodations for different learning styles, development of social skills for students is a focus and that there is more project-based learning. 

Warwick resident Joe Pasquina was skeptical of the process.

“My concern is that the decisions have already been made and that they’re looking for an option that fits their solution.”

Pasquina said educational planner Frank Locker, the consultant retained to conduct the study, specifically mentioned two campuses with reconstructions in his presentation on Wednesday.

“It’s clearly evident to me that the concept that they’re going to move forward with is renovating the existing structures,” Pasquina said.

Locker and school administrators denied they have reached a conclusion to the future of the high schools. 

“This process is really up to the community,” Thornton said. “We have no designs on how this will come out. We truly want to hear the thinking of the community and then take that and bring it forward.” 

Last fall, a new high school was suggested for Pilgrim High, so the School Committee began to examine the futures of both Pilgrim and Toll Gate. The City Council agreed to a $100,000 appropriation to conduct a study. Then the School Committee hired Locker to facilitate this discussion. He travels the country and takes what he learns to provide first hand experience when drafting ideas for a future school. Locker includes the community stakeholders in the planning, and then provides recommendations to school committees.

In January, Locker led a meeting with about 50 stakeholders to learn what they would like to see. The most popular model was two stand-alone high schools with an integrated Career-Tech Center (C-TC) at both locations, followed by one high school operating in two buildings with an integrated C-TC at both.

“I’ve seen no indication that my work is a charade and that this is all to be folded into some predetermined order,” Locker said. “I have introduced to this district…many new concepts that nobody’s ever thought about before.”

Pasquina said that there was talk of two schools functioning with one sports team, which he said is odd to bring up if a decision hasn’t been made yet. Other community members said that they were worried about athletics themselves. Tracy Corcoran, a parent whose son is new to football, said she is concerned with a student being cut from the team if the schools were to merge sports teams.

“I’m worried if it’s one school, the kid who just barely made the team is never going to make a team [at] one school,” she said.

Athletic Supervisor for Pilgrim High Scott Bayha said there should be no worry of cuts because enrollment for Pilgrim athletics has been declining. Bayha mentioned that he barely has, or does not have, enough student athletes to field the minimum requirements for some teams. He said combining athletic teams might actually provide more opportunities for students to pursue athletics.

“We have 15 kids for football next year, so we can’t even field a team. We don’t have enough kids for freshman baseball. We just watched a wrestling match with eight kids,” Bayha said. “Kids are not going to be cut, if that’s what you’re feeling.”

The next phases in Locker’s work are to facilitate another community event on April 2, then draft plans including cost of each option. From there, the School Committee will select a plan. Chairwoman Karen Bachus said the committee is hopeful of having a bond that would cover the costs of school renovations or possibly a new high school on the November ballot.

“We’re trying to get this on the ballot for the fall,” Bachus said.

Comments

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  • JohnStark

    According to the state Dept. of Education, Pilgrim's male enrollment was 649 as of October 2019. If Mr. Bayha is accurate and Pilgrim does, indeed, have only "15 kids for football next year..." it speaks to a broad and deep culture of apathy at the school which should be horrifying to potential parents and embarrassing to school administration.

    Tuesday, February 18, 2020 Report this

  • Iceman32_89

    Football participation has been dropping all around the country. It's not just a Pilgrim problem. More parents are steering their kids towards lacrosse or flag football because of health concerns. The fact that for the foreseeable future sports are going to be put on the chopping block every year probably doesn't help either though. Those who have athletic ability will either go the private school route like lasalle or hendricken or go to another district where there is some stability.

    Tuesday, February 18, 2020 Report this

  • thepilgrim

    What a bold lie Thornton told: “The process is really up to the community.” Why doesn’t Thornton explain to the community members who were divided into small discussion groups who exactly was facilitating those groups to their preplanned outcome? If the citizens of Warwick truly believe they have a say in this “education” process, then they are deceived.

    Tuesday, February 18, 2020 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    more money being spent on consultants. the answer is to warehouse all the kids until they are 18 and then let the survivors go. i can send you my address where to sent my six figure consulting fee.

    Wednesday, February 19, 2020 Report this