Bassett Building Picked For Adult Ed

After hours of heated debate, a divided Board of Education voted to move its adult education center from the Boulevard to the former state social-services building on Bassett Street.

That 4 – 3 decision followed a contentious four-hour board conversation at a special Monday night meeting.

Board members were divided about the future vision for the Adult Basic Education program and how the new location would impact its long-term goals. 

Last winter a jacked-up lease agreement was renewed for the adult ed program to continue operating out of 540 Ella T. Grasso Blvd until June 2025. Over the next few years the program’s rent will rise from $55,000 a month to $60,100 a month. 

Last month the city and State Rep. Toni Walker, who’s also an assistant principal at adult ed, hosted a community meeting in Newhallville to discuss the 188 – 206 Bassett St. building as a possible new home for the program. Neighbors at the meeting offered praise for the plan proposal while some questioned if it considers Newhallville youth enough. 

Since then a competing possible new site has emerged: the former Strong School building at 130 Orchard St.

Walker and Principal Michelle Bonora requested Monday that the board approve their recommendation to move adult ed there instead of the Bassett Street building.

For the move, Walker said, she has secured a $20 million commitment from a state Covid Capital Projects fund for adult ed to rehabilitate an empty building in the city and share the space with community partners. Walker and Bonora told the board Monday that they are looking for a building that will allow them to expand the program’s student population and programming in the near future for New Haveners to pursue high school diplomas, job training, higher education, and English language proficiency.

Nearly 30 community members spoke up at the meeting Monday evening. Several adult ed staffers and current students spoke in favor of the Orchard Street move. They said it would allow for more classroom space and is accessible for students who drive and take the bus to get to downtown resources and to Yale New Haven Hospital.

Meanwhile a dozen Newhallville residents and city alders spoke in favor of the original plan for moving the program to Bassett Street, which many described as more accessible for pedestrians, cyclists, and bus users. The building is a block from Dixwell Avenue and off the Farmington Canal Trail. Several speakers also argued that the location would attract more New Haven youth and adults without high school degrees specifically from Newhallville to continue their education. 

Click here to view the two plans and the results of an adult ed survey asking about student relocation preferences. 

Walker, Bonera, and Superintendent Iline Tracey all agreed the Orchard site would be best for the program. 

The final decision came hours after board members questioned the adult ed leadership and district team about undetermined construction cost, the lack of Hill neighborhood input into the proposal, and what was truly the best for the program’s planned expansion.

The program each year serves 1,300 students, 1,000 of whom are English language learners.

Before the final decision was made, Bassett Street supporters argued that the carpet was being pulled from underneath the community after the July meeting got neighbors excited about the large-scale community investment.

Residents and Alders Kim Edwards, Carmen Rodriguez, Tyisha Walker-Myers, Devin Avshalom-Smith, and Steve Winter said the Bassett Street site would bring students in to support small businesses and encourage adult ed students to become entrepreneurs in the neighborhood. 

“We have a chance here to imagine access. Because what seems impossible can be very possible in Newhallville. We have a chance to really, really touch lives,” said Kim Harris, principal of Harris and Tucker School and co-chair of the Newhallville management team. ​“I can actually visualize Newhallville being the mecca of adult ed — and what an uplifting thing that would be for this community.”

Winter reported that one in every five Newhallville residents lacks a high school diploma.

The final vote was 4 – 3 to move the program to Bassett. Board members Abie Benitez, Mayor Justin Elicker, Orlando Yarborough, and Yesenia Rivera voted against the adult ed recommendation for Orchard and instead voted for the relocation plan to Bassett Street. Members Darnell Goldson, Matt Wilcox, and Edward Joyner voted in favor of the Orchard site and against Bassett Street. 

Referring to comments made earlier by Adult Ed staff, Elicker said, ​“I’ve heard that [Newhallville] is not safe. I think that we need to upend the stigma around that. That’s exactly the reason we want it on Bassett Street, to undo that stigma, have more people on the site, have more investment in the site.” 

Orchard Street supporters argued that the former Strong School site makes the most sense because of its history as a school building. They also noted that it has a well-lit block keeping students who walk in the area in the evening safe; is on a major bus route with no required transfers; would be convenient for many English as a Second Language (ESOL) students, who make up the largest population of adult ed classes; and could support incoming immigrants in using the many nearby resources downtown, such as workforce opportunities.

Erica Walden, an adult ed ESOL teacher since 2002, said at Orchard Street she would look forward to taking 25-minute walking trips with her students to the Ives library for her students to get library cards. 

“The bus route wouldn’t require a transfer; it’s only like 15 minutes. Where compared to the school on Bassett Street it would require a transfer, and it was 51 minutes,” said Magen Fitzgibbons, a teacher at Adult Ed since 2007. 

“I’m just really concerned that that would be a big barrier for our students or a deterrent. They already struggle with language and navigating everything.” 

Bonera and Walker described the ideal spot as having state-of-the-art classrooms and space to expand the manufacturing, CNA (certified nursing assistant), and culinary arts programs. Bonora added that at Orchard Street the program would look to partnering with Casa Ontonal to offer CNA programming in Spanish.

City Engineer Giovanni Zinn Monday night presented a design draft of the Bassett Street renovations. Jay Brotman of Svigals + Partners architect firm presented drafts of proposed plans for Orchard Street.

The Bassett site would have a three-floor plan requiring a full gut-rehab to build a separately operating community center; about 140 parking spaces; and a mix of smaller classroom, staff, and community spaces that he described as modern, inspiring, and professional. 

Tracey said in the past, at King/Robinson School (where she previously served as principal), now-underutilized space was originally designed for a senior center. 

“The state came out clearly and said we can’t do that,” Tracey said. ​“Therefore we had to close up 4,000 to 5,000 square feet of space.” 

The Orchard plans would use the larger two-floor space to bring the latest technology for 21st century learning, Brotman said. The plan proposes a parking lot with 70 spaces and outdoor greenspaces for outdoor learning and gathering. 

Demolition would be required to take down some but not all walls for ​“uniquely shaped” classrooms with storage spaces, a health and counseling suite, and a separately operating partner suite.

Mayor Elicker argued the Orchard site would not have enough staff and student parking spaces. Bonora said the program currently uses more than 100 spaces daily.

Thomas Lamb, NHPS’ Chief Operating Officer, said additional parking options for Orchard Street could include Career high school’s parking lot and possibly renting spaces from Yale’s lot across the street. Lamb estimated that renting from Yale could cost $50 – 100 per space each month.