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Date: 2/8/2023
CHICOPEE – The approval of several new school courses and a discussion focused on improving safety measures were central topics during the School Committee’s Feb. 1 meeting.
New Courses
The School Committee unanimously voted to add eight courses, which include Advanced Ceramics and Sculpture, Cosmetology II, Human Development I, Human Development II, Intermediate Ceramics and Sculpture, Introduction to Ceramics and Sculpture, Introduction to Education and Introduction to Hospitality. These classes will be added to Chicopee High School’s curriculum.
Interim Superintendent Alvin Morton shared that new course subjects are generated from the interest of students and the school district’s desire to increase pathway opportunities for students.
“It’s student generated, we try to get information [from them], but we’re also trying to build our pathway program at Chicopee High School and try to see what is going on in the industry to see what we can provide to give them the necessary skills,” said Morton.
Morton said the new courses will be run by a mixture of current employees and new hires made ahead of the 2023-2024 school year.
Ward 5 Grace Schofield applauded the new courses for Chicopee High School after receiving constituent concerns about a lack of pathway classes at the school compared to Chicopee Comprehensive High School.
“We are aware of it. [We] hope with these new pathway classes being approved, that would help balance out some students wanting to take these career paths at Chicopee High [School],” said Schofield.
Chicopee High School Principal Carol Kruser recently highlighted the expansion of career-oriented courses as a central goal during her Jan. 18 State of the Schools presentation.
“One of the things we’ve been talking about the last few years but is really taking a positive turn is our pathways,” said Kruser during the Jan. 18 meeting.
School Safety
Ward 7 School Committee member Donald Lamothe requested a discussion on school safety measures. Lamothe shared that he and several other School Committee members received letters about the inclusion of metal detectors in Chicopee schools. The constituent letters cited a surge in mass shootings and the discovery of a gun at the Thanksgiving Chicopee High School and Chicopee Comprehensive High School football game.
“With the shootings in general in different areas and the gun that was found at Chicopee Comprehensive [High School] during the Sword game, how come metal detectors are not in place and up in running?” said Lamothe in reading the constituent question.
Morton shared that metal detectors could not be established in schools without a policy change. He stated that the policy change will be introduced during the next regular School Committee meeting.
“We’re waiting to make sure our policy is revised … It needs to be revised to include metal detectors because we never had them before,” said Morton.
Morton expects the metal detectors to be installed as soon as the policy is approved. The metal detectors will be included in Chicopee High School, Chicopee Comprehensive High School, Bellamy Middle School and Sergeant Kevin A. Dupont Memorial Middle School.
Once established, the metal detectors will be outfitted with Wi-Fi technology to “make sure we can keep track and have data” on their activity, according to Morton. The interim superintendent expects that the inclusion of metal detectors to be supported by several new hires.
“Once we roll them out this year, we’ll gauge the staff that is needed. [This year], we have a plan in place that we will be able to utilize the staff we have,” said Morton.
Lamothe shared that the School Committee’s Budget and Finance Subcommittee will meet to further discuss any financial needs for supporting the installation of metal detectors.
The School Committee will meet again on Feb. 15.