As Rent Rises, Adult Ed Tackles Leaks, Growing Demand

As students registered for New Haven’s adult education center Tuesday, rain dripped through a space left by a missing ceiling tile in the registration room into a large blue trash can.

To leaders of the center, that was just one reminder of concerns they have — over the future of their stretched budget in the wake of a rent increase in the renewal of their lease.

Throughout the New Haven Adult and Continuing Education Center building on Ella Grasso Boulevard, several ceiling tiles were either missing or had water damage. A sink in the women’s bathroom and some toilets were wrapped in plastic covers not to be used.

These were some concerns raised by Adult Ed assistant principal Toni Walker noted in a walk-through of the building Tuesday morning. She also discussed concerns about how the center will cope with rising enrollment.

The Board of Education (BOE) approved the negotiated renewed contract for the Adult Ed Center with in an increase tin monthly rent for the 40,000 square-foot suite at 540 Ella Grasso Blvd. from $55,000 this academic year to $56,666.67 the following year (for a total of $680,000), to $58,366.67 (total of $700,400) for the 2023-4 academic year, to $60,100 (or total $721,200) for 2024-5.

The financial implications of Adult Education Lease were discussed during Monday afternoon’s Board of Education Finance and Operations (F&O) committee meeting.

Walker said the Adult Ed program, a key opportunity for helping young adults in particular get on a path to self-sufficient lives, has been flat-funded for over eight years.” That state funds 62 percent of the program’s $4.8 million budget; the remaining is paid through the district’s general funds.

F&O Committee Chair Matt Wilcox put the issue on the meeting agenda Monday night to hear from administration about whether the current Adult Ed budget can cover the rent increase — and if not, how it will be paid for.

School system Chief of Operations Thomas Lamb said after contract negotiations the Adult Ed program can expect a reduction of cost for the building property taxes of 125,000 which will now be paid for by the landlord and cheaper custodial services with its long term partner Eco-Urban Pioneers. The program can expect a $10,000 reduction for cleaning Lamb said.

Walker (who is a state legislator who co-chairs the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee) told the F&O committee that the building is “desperately” in need of repaired ceilings, bathrooms, HAVC, heating, and walls.

She said she worries that, because the school system negotiated for a clause to be able to pull out of the new rental agreement, the landlord might choose not to make needed repairs until the school moves out.

School system Chief of Operations Thomas Lamb said he plans to work with the owners at the final lease agreement signing to establish deadlines for the renovations. Wilcox suggested Lamb establish ​“aggressive” dates for the renovations now that the program is paying ​“premium prices.” Lamb also said the contract calls for a $10,000 saving on custodial services provided by Eco-Urban Pioneers.

Landlord Mendel Paris told the Independent Tuesday that his company is investing millions into improvements to all of its buildings. He estimated that his company will invest $300,000 to 500,000 to the Adult Ed building when the lease is signed.

“They should be really happy that we’re doing the work in that building that the previous owners didn’t,” said Paris, whose limited-liability corporation purchased the property last year.

Walker and Adult Ed Principal Michelle Bonora additionally raised concerns during the Monday meeting about the rent increase eliminating the program’s ability to fill vacant teaching staff positions.

The Adult Ed offers programs to help students 17 and older obtain a GED or high school diploma, learn English as a second language, and prepare for the citizenship exam.This year the center has about 900 enrolled students. The English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program has the largest population at the center, with about 500 students, Walker said.

The two-floor building operates based on the size of its student population. The building houses the center’s GED program, English as a Second Language Program (ESL), and ESOL program with daily course offerings

As classes resumed Tuesday morning, rooms filled with dozens of students who worked with computers in hand to do digital class work.

Some classes remained empty of students as instructors worked on a rotation schedule of teaching class in-person, then remotely, throughout the day.

The center has seven counselors as on=site support staff for students. ​“We want to keep them from getting lost in the maze so this will be their last time in the K‑12 system,” Walker said.

On the building’s first floor are classes for the high school credit program. Trade classes like the center’s hospitality program also filled classrooms Tuesday. Other programs include arts, woodworking, and certified nursing assistant (CNA) training.

The center aims to keep class sizes small for instructors to keep track of each student and provide them with necessary attention. However, due to the increase in the student population this year class sizes are growing larger, Walker said.

The center offers classes 9 a.m to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. The staff aims to work with students’ family, child care, transportation, and full-time work commitments.

The center has made changes like offering online rather than just in person to get more students on a path to ​“improve their education skills and earn a living wage,” Walker said.

Options for dual enrollment at Gateway Community College are also offered.

A new program called ENGAGE has been developed by the Center to offer students ​“experiential exposures” to internships, job shadowing opportunities, and mentorships in addition to general education credits. The center is rolling out the program with local manufacturing, carpentry, and culinary partners.

“We serve a major purpose for the city,” Walker said. ​“The value that we provide for the community is unmeasurable.”

The center’s goal is to ​“help people reach their dreams and professional potential,” walker said.

Bonora said the center aids its students whose ​“journeys aren’t always linear.”

Six refugees enrolled in the program on Monday alone, and 30 have enrolled since Nov. 1, reported ESOL teacher and program facilitator Erica Walden.

The ESOL program provides academic courses for students as well as classes to ease their ​“assimilation journey.” Students learn how to catch a bus, talk to their children school teachers, and handle job interviews.

On Tuesday a bilingual literacy class had to be split into two because the 35 students couldn’t fit into a single room.

The center services refugees, residents forced to drop out due to family issues or health concerns, and residents exiting the criminal justice system who have been ​“told all their lives they wouldn’t do it,” Walker said.

“People after the pandemic are craving these services,” Walker said.