East Lyme Superintendent Withdraws Plan to Move High School Students Into Niantic Center School

 
Many Niantic Center School parents are going to sleep a little easier tonight. Earlier this afternoon, East Lyme School Superintendent James Lombardo sent out a letter to parents announcing that he was withdrawing his proposal to move the Coastal Connections alternative high school program to the elementary school. 

"While I still believe we could safely locate the high school program in a separate area of the Niantic Center facility, I am withdrawing my proposal to do so at this time," Lombardo wrote. "As a result, my proposed list of budget reductions to reach the $650,000 cut mandated by the Board of Finance no longer includes a reduction in the rental fees associated with the proposed move." 

Lombardo's decision came on the heels of a meeting this afternoon with Niantic Center School parents who vehemently opposed having a program that would place 25 high school age students in their children's small, tight-knit elementary school. Many more parents had voiced their concerns about safety and the appropriateness of such a move at a packed hearing on the topic at Center School on Monday. 

Lombardo said the move was needed to save the approximately $10,000 the district currently spends on rent to house Coastal Connections in the Carelot Building in Niantic. It would also have allowed the district to expand the Special Education program for 18- to 21-year-olds that also rents space at Carelot to move into the then vacated Coastal Connections area. 

"We will seek other means to support our high school special education and Coastal Connections programs," Lombardo wrote.