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Date: 5/7/2019
CHICOPEE – Members of the School Committee received a status report about Chicopee Comprehensive High School and Chicopee High School at its meeting on April 30.
Director of Career & Technical Education Kenneth Widelo, Chicopee Comprehensive High School Principal Derek Morrison and Chicopee High Principal Carol Kruser spoke to the committee about recent accomplishments.
Although many topics were discussed, the growth of vaping among the city’s students was one point of discussion.
School Committee member Mary Beth Costello asked about what steps are being taken to discourage vaping.
Morrison said the schools have tried to “get ahead of it before it got really bad.”
He noted that sensor equipment was installed to detect illegal vaping on school property. There is also a $100 fine levied against students who vape and corrective action is taken.
“I think we are all being educated very, very fast,” Morrison of the fad.
Costello also asked if with the legalization of cannabis there has been a higher incidence of its use among students. Kruser said it has increased thanks to vaping.
“It doesn’t have the same stigma,” she said.
Morrison expressed concern about students who are using cannabis because they are self-medicating due to issues they have.
Widelo noted the sale of a home built by Comp students on Rolf Avenue, which he described as a “dream site.” The students are now working on their next home project at 13 Grace St.
Widelo said that site is being more challenging as it has a smaller footprint. The site had a foreclosed home on it, which has been demolished. He said it is the hopes of the students to have the new house “buttoned up before the end of the school year.”
He added comp students are very involved in community service and have been working on helping to maintain public vehicles, worked on the wiring in the City Hall renovations and built a greenhouse at the Dupont Middle School.
Kruser said Chicopee High is planning to offer new electives next year in marine biology and social media marketing.
The co-teaching program is “going extremely well,” Kruser said. She added the school is focusing on social and emotional supports for both the student body and staff.
Kruser said the high school’s recent college fair drew representatives from 102 colleges.
Speaking of community service, Kruser said, “Our kids do a lot.”
Morrison said that he and Kruser work on several joint programs between the two high schools.
He added the schools Turn Around plan “has been a huge lift for everyone” and he said the co-teaching program at Comp has been “fantastic.”
Comp was honored by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association with its sportsmanship award, something Morrison said the school has not had in 10 years.
In other action, the committee approved a continuation of the School Choice program in which students from neighboring communities can apply to attend Chicopee schools. School Committee member Michael Pise said the program help school officials to fill classrooms and bring in additional revenue.
Assistant Superintendent Alvin Morton explained the city is paid $5,000 per student in the program and there are 110 opening.
Mayor Richard Kos said some people believe the program has been used to recruit out-of-town athletes, which is not true. Morton said only about 25 percent of the School Choice students participate in athletics.