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Wallingford forum reviews draft educational specifications for proposed single high school
Summary
At a community forum April 23, Wallingford school leaders and consultants reviewed draft educational specifications ("ed specs") that would guide a possible consolidation of the district's two high schools into one. Officials emphasized the document is a starting point and solicited community feedback on space, programming and timeline.
The Wallingford Board of Education and district staff presented draft educational specifications on April 23 as the next step in a multi‑year process to evaluate a potential consolidation of the town’s two high schools into a single facility. The forum, held at Lyman Hall, was framed as an opportunity for residents to review the ed specs prepared with consultant Colliers and to give feedback before the board votes on final specifications.
Superintendent Belizzi said the consolidation discussion dates to 2016 and that multiple studies and enrollment analyses followed, including a consultant engagement in 2018 and a board decision in February 2023 to pursue consolidation based on declining enrollment, aging facilities and program equity. She said Colliers and SLAM assisted with the ed specs and that district staff, building administrators and instructional leaders helped define the programming and space needs reflected in the draft.
Nick Crusoe, facilitator and associate executive director for field services and technology at the Connecticut Association for Boards of Education (CABE), opened the forum and urged speakers to focus comments on the ed specs. The specifications document is posted on the district website and available by QR code at the forum, Belizzi said; a second community forum is scheduled for May 3 with childcare provided.
Belizzi and district staff said the ed specs translate program goals — core academics, electives, CTE pathways and special programs — into rough space and capacity targets that are intended to guide site selection, schematic design and later cost estimating. The administrators emphasized the ed specs are "living" guidance: the board can amend them after community feedback and before any final design or construction decisions.
The district also flagged that many steps remain before construction: site selection, design, grant or state funding decisions, town approval of capital funding and detailed cost comparisons (including renovating both schools versus building new). Belizzi said the board will continue to monitor enrollment projections and adjust specifications as needed.
Residents and staff were invited to comment on the draft ed specs; the board said it will collect feedback at the two forums and consider revisions at upcoming board meetings before a formal vote on the specifications.
