School Committee moves funds to Phoenix program
By Angela Greiner Community Reporter

Marlborough - The School Committee voted April 28 in favor of allocating $654,650 in the budget to create several system-wide positions within the city's Special Education program. The financial resources for the positions will come from a decrease in spending of $710,000 for Special Education students attending schools out of district.

The projected out-of-district enrollment is expected to decrease because of several factors, including student graduations, Special Education students aging out of the system and the return of students currently attending out-ofdistrict schools.

Approximately $190,000 of the funds will be used to create four new positions in Marlborough High School's Phoenix program. These positions will allow the program to expand to accommodate more students' needs; this has already attracted the students in four families to return to the school district.

The Phoenix program, which is housed at the former Hildreth School, has been described by School Committee member Michelle Bodin-Hettinger as an alternative school setting where students with serious problems are sent for a few months of support and then return to the High School.

"Phoenix has the potential to be a great program," Bodin- Hettinger said. "Seeing a strong need for this program, we began pumping in more money and resources."

The atmosphere at the Phoenix program gives students with emotional or social needs the opportunity to achieve academic success that the traditional high school setting did not allow for. Students are sent to the school for several reasons, including frequent truancy, involvement of the Department of Youth Services, suspension, pregnancy, return to school after dropping out and poor academic records.

"The program has started to morph into a true alternative program," Bodin-Hettinger said.

This year, the Phoenix program will graduate the first students with Marlborough High School diplomas. Although the program has grown and is achieving success with students, Bodin-Hettinger said that more is needed.

"To make it really work, we needed a full-time counselor on site," Bodin-Hettinger said.

The program has been sharing the resources of High School faculty positions like the school adjustment counselor. The new funding will provide for a full-time clinician (social worker/school adjustment counselor), one full-time administrator and two fulltime teachers.

Bodin-Hettinger explained that she was also grateful for the support of companies like Intel, who through large contributions have helped create a successful learning environment.

"They saw the value of what we are trying to achieve," she said.

A grant awarded to the school from Intel Corporation meant that this year the school could implement an art computer lab.

"We need to beef things up in the High School Special Education program," Bodin- Hettinger said. "The Phoenix technology lab has one of the best computer set-ups in all of the city's schools. This chunk of money allowed us to purchase some serious hardware and software for the students."

According to Bodin-Hettinger, the city's primary school Special Education program is one of the top programs in the state and is one of the school district's gems. She is hopeful that enhancements in the Phoenix program will keep even more students within the district.