Smooth

schools'

transitions

expected

By Linda Lemmon

Town Crier Editor

WOODSTOCK --- Woodstock Academy and Hyde-Woodstock school officials expect smooth transitions for the 2017-2018 school year. Woodstock Academy officials last week announced that the academy will be purchasing the 127-acre Hyde campus down the street. 

Woodstock Academy Christopher Sandford said that the "due diligence" phase of the purchase should be finished in December. That includes legal, financial, environmental and other items.

Sandford said that some of the due diligence items are already done, such as the environmental, so he sees "no problem" with the Academy taking occupancy in June and getting the campus ready for students in the fall of 2017.  

Likewise, in a letter to members of the Hyde community, Hyde expects to consolidate the two campuses into a single campus at Bath, Maine.  The Woodstock campus of Hyde opened in 1996. Hyde-Bath officials said that Hyde is "an idea first and a place second. Our senior leadership team and Board of Governors share a strong belief that this transition will serve to strengthen that idea while enriching our educational excellence and securing our financial well-being as we prepare to meet the future."  Hyde officials are committed to making the transition a smooth one. In addition, Hyde officials said they expect some of the Connecticut faculty, coaches, etc. to transfer to Maine and added that the academy intends "to make every effort to offer employment to those not transferring to Maine."

Sandford said,  the campus "has a number of highlights, including: a gymnasium with a basketball court, locker rooms, wrestling room, and fitness center; a 1,018-seat auditorium; three dormitories; a dining hall; a turf field that allows for night games; an eight-lane track; residential houses; classrooms; and offices.  The facilities at the Hyde School’s campus provide all of the strategic priorities outlined by both our faculty/staff, and the Board of Trustees.  This acquisition provides increased opportunities now, while realizing major long-term construction savings." The Woodstock Academy’s Board President Christine Swenson said, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and allows us to fulfill every part of our strategic plan to move our school forward. We are beyond grateful and excited to be able to provide these new facilities to our faculty, staff, students, and our larger community.”

Holly Singleton, associate headmaster, said the addition of 25 classroom spaces will provide most faculty his/her own classroom and create more specialized education spaces, thereby having a significant impact on educational programming."  The academy intends to continue its capital campaign for a new science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics center. The campuses  are 2.2 miles apart and shuttle buses will run between the campuses during the day. Time between classes will increase. 

Sandford said one of the most exciting aspects for the local community is the space the school will have to form additional partnerships, Current ideas include summer activities and camps, senior programming and fine arts programming in what will become the academy's new performing arts center. Sandford said the Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut and its Community Cultural Committee will still have access to the auditorium and the academy is hoping to expand cultural offerings in the region.

The Hyde campus has 250 dorm rooms which would allow for expansion of the student population, Sandford said.  Currently the Academy has 1055 students. Of that 92 are international, 21 are paid and 942 are from the sending towns.  Sandford said the academy is not looking at that big an increase in (international) students, "but it does provide us with more flexibility." Asked if the tuition for sending towns might increase, Sandford said "if there is (an increase) it would be a small one."

Sandford said the process started in March when one of the Board of Director members at the academy came to the board with the idea of buying the Hyde school campus. 

Asked what the best part of this is, Sandford said it's the excitement of the fourth largest historic expansion of the school. First was the school's opening in 1801; second was the new building in 1873, third was a 1992 expansion and this marks the fourth.

 

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