As the growing popularity of private or alternative high school education, public schools have now been led to make changes to make their school more compelling to attend for possible students. This issue can be seen in Old Saybrook, where over the two years, 20 percent of the graduating middle school class did not attend Old Saybrook High School. To combat this issue, the Board of education implemented a new systemic plan. The new decision was to implement different individual “schools” inside the High school. Examples of this include “Rams School of Business”, with new business classes being offered, “Rams School of STEM”, “Rams School of Health Sciences” and “Rams School of Fine Arts”. The goal of this project, according to School Guidance Counselor Chris Perras, is to stimulate student interaction in the schools, while also making a public education more appealing to incoming students and parents.
Mr. Perras said, “I think it’s great– without having a very large student body we can be flexible by creating specific academic areas to tailor towards our students interest and needs. Our goal is to prepare our students for both college and/or career. When looking at the data we saw that the majority of our seniors were majoring in either business or Health Sciences upon graduation from Old Saybrook High School. Creating these programs will provide a strong foundation not only to help students get into those specific programs in college and to give them an overall foundation in those areas of Interest.” As Old Saybrook High School adapts to the growing competition created by schools of choice, these new focused schools represent more than just a way to retain students; they signal a shift toward a more personalized and forward-thinking education, one that would be expected at a private school, according to Mr. Perras.
By allowing students to explore career-oriented pathways while still receiving a well-rounded high school experience, the district is aiming to better prepare students for life after graduation, as per conversations with Board of Education Members. While it will take time to fully measure the success of this initiative, the creation of these specialized schools reflects a commitment to meeting student interests, strengthening academic engagement, and ensuring that Old Saybrook High School remains a competitive and appealing option for families in the community.
