ALBANY, N.Y. (January 21, 2010) Three March forums will allow parents and community members to weigh in on how the City School District of Albany should restructure Albany High School.

 

The forums will be held:

• 6:30-7:30 Tuesday, March 9, at North Albany Academy, 570 North Pearl Street;

• 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, at the Albany Housing Authority at 200 S. Pearl Street; and

• 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, March 15, at Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School, 100 Elbel Court.

 

The charge to examine and redesign Albany High with community input was one a key recommendation in the district's strategic plan "A Vision for Tomorrow," which the Board of Education approved in November 2008.The district began seeking community input in December in an online survey that received more than 800 responses.

 

Seventy percent of the people who responded to the survey favored keeping the high school and creating smaller schools in different locations.

 

A total of 810 people completed the survey, one of several tools the district will use to solicit community opinion about restructuring the high school.

 

Other survey findings:

• Most (84 percent) would support a “School of the Arts” or “School of the Arts and Technology” if the district pursues theme-based schools;

• The majority (54.3 percent) oppose separating ninth-graders from other high-school students;

• People who responded were district staff members, parents, community members and students; and

• A total of 136 individuals said they wanted to be part of a committee and/or more public discussion on the subject.