Bridge principal seeks GED-prep, community-service credit and a 12-passenger van to expand alternative-education options

The principal of the district’s Bridge alternative high school asked the board to approve two new course offerings and to consider acquiring a 12-passenger van to expand student access to community placements and high-school electives.

Mr. Veioni, introduced by staff as the Bridge principal, said staff are proposing a GED-preparation course using online practice tests combined with classroom mentorship and a community-service credit option that would enable students to earn credit while volunteering with local businesses and organizations. "Our first course...is a GED prep course...and the other course we're asking for is called community service," he said, noting plans to pilot summer offerings and local partnerships with chamber members.

To support off-site placements and elective access, Mr. Veioni requested a 12-passenger van that would not require a commercial license and would be driven by staff who obtain chauffeur licenses; he said many Bridge students lack reliable transportation and the van would allow the program to take students to work-study and community-service opportunities.

Trustees debated whether Bridge students should be more integrated into the high school (where they could access electives) or kept in the smaller Bridge environment that students say they prefer. Several trustees praised the Bridge staff and said they supported creative strategies to improve attendance and outcomes; others cautioned about creating a separate parallel high school and urged exploring ways to locate Bridge spaces within the high school. Staff said they will continue refining the plan and that the course proposals and transportation request will come back as future action items.