A new weight room, space for an alternative education program — plus, possibly, a daycare center and school store.
Those are some of the uses principal Fran Thompson envisions for the space in the high school building formerly occupied by Derby Middle School.
The middle school moved into its own building Jan. 4.
The middle school had occupied 11 classrooms and five offices within the high school.
Thompson started using many of the empty classrooms immediately, giving them to instructors who were previously teaching without a permanent classroom.
Thompson took a subcommittee of the Board of Education on a walking tour of the space Tuesday night.
Alternative High School
Thompson showed the school board three rooms he envisions as a alternative high school suite, which essentially would be a school within a school, Thompson said.
The school board is considering whether to include $50,000 in next year’s budget for start-up costs for the alternative high school program.
Thompson said the program would allow the district to bring back a few students who are now taught at programs outside the district. He estimated bringing two kids back into Derby could result in $120,000 in savings.
Thompson wants to put the alternative high school program in rooms 125, 126 and 127.
Weight Room
Thompson wants to convert an oversized classroom into a weight room. The room’s size and independent entrance and exits make it ideal for a weight room to be used by athletes, Thompson said.
Thompson said new Derby football coach George French may look to the community and local businesses to help transform and stock the new weight room.
The high school’s current weight room is decrepit.
Daycare?
One of Thompson’s more interesting ideas is a daycare center in one end of the high school, where middle school science classes were held.
Thompson said he had been in preliminary talks with the Valley YMCA about using the space for childcare. The idea is to possibly generate revenue for the district, as people using the daycare center would pay a fee.
No details have been worked out, other than representatives from the Valley YMCA looking at the space and expressing an interest, Thompson said.
The daycare center could also be used, possibly at a reduced cost, for a few teen moms in the district. An in school daycare would also have a built-in client base of the high school and middle school faculty and staff, Thompson said.
The daycare center plan, along with the alternative high school plan, would need school board approval.
Other Changes
Thompson’s other changes at the high school include an expanded space for the Derby police officer assigned as a school resource officer.
The officer has been working in what amounts to a closet, Thompson said.
The Derby officer will be taking over space that formerly housed the middle school principal.
The police officer’s old space will be converted into a “spirit store,” selling Red Raider clothes, notebooks, pens, pencils and other items.
Thompson’s complete plan for the former middle school space is posted below:
