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Washington School District to host, tour informational session on relocation of Alternative School

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Washington School District officials will host a tour of the Alternative School’s new location Thursday evening.

The tour, which is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at Washington Park Elementary School, will include an “informational session” about the upcoming relocation of the Alternative School.

“Our goal is to allay any concerns parents may have regarding the safety of all students,” Washington Superintendent Dr. James Konrad said in a news release. “We understand that safety is everyone’s concern and we, as a district, continue to do what we feel is best for all our students and their safety.”

Aside from Konrad, several other officials from the school district and Alternative School will be available at the meeting to answer any questions, the release said.

“Misinformation and rumors, especially on social media, are our worst enemies,” Konrad said in the release. “We need parents and the public to understand that this move will be a success, and the Alternative School will have more modern facilities for their students’ education.”

Washington School District directors voted unanimously last week to house the Intermediate Unit 1’s alternative education program in rooms on the lower level of Washington Park Elementary School, beginning with the 2018-19 school year.

The program, entering its 30th year, currently is housed at Clark School in Washington.

In a letter sent out to elementary school parents last Tuesday, the district emphasized the space earmarked for use by students in the alternative education program, which serves high school students in Washington County school districts who are at risk of failing out of school, will be separated from classrooms used by elementary students. No elementary students will have access to that part of the school.

The alternative program, which can accommodate as many as 23 students, will be located in the same wing as the Leader Program, an after-school program run by Washington County probation services that develops youth self-esteem, social skills and independent living skills and improves academic and classroom skills.

Alternative education students will have a separate entrance and exit into the elementary building, and will not enter at the main entrances.

“Since we had a few calls and concerns on social media about this change, I felt it was best to have a meeting to provide factual information to parents and provide them with a tour of the facility,” Konrad said. “This would allow parents to see the facility and understand the measures that the district has taken to provide educational opportunities for all students, because every child deserves a quality education.”

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