SANFORD — Should career and technical education be set apart from academic courses or should the space they occupy, as well as the curriculum, be more integrated?

As planning continues for Sanford’s new high school and career technical center, varying opinions have emerged.  

The abrupt firing of Sanford Regional Technical Center Director Jim Stopa one day before his resignation was to take effect is seen by some as an illustration of the disagreement. Stopa announced his resignation this spring, effective on Monday, June 30. He attended the State Board of Education construction subcommittee meeting the previous Friday, June 27 in Augusta, outlining his concerns about the building design. When he arrived home, he said he had a telephone message from Superintendent David Theoharides, saying he was fired.

Stopa said he isn’t worried about the firing itself, but he is concerned about the new school design. He said he and some others believe SRTC will lose its identity because of how the new school is set to be configured.

Others, like School Committee Chairwoman Kendra Williams, say integration of both the curriculum and the physical space is desirable, and the design will allow more students to take advantage of technical programs.

The new school, expected to cost about $97 million, most of which will be paid through the state’s school construction program, is expected to be finished in 2018.

The design includes four education “pathways”: science and technology, business and management, art and communications, and human services. The art and communications wing sees art studios, music and chorus, classrooms and some science labs grouped adjacent to video production, digital design and graphic arts. In the science and technology wing, physics and chemistry labs and classrooms are adjacent to automotive, welding, precision manufacturing, robotics and other disciplines.

Stopa says the layout may look good, but he believes the identity of SRTC, which educates technology students from six surrounding communities, as well as Sanford, is being lost.

“What was thought to be two schools under one roof became one school under one roof,” he said.

Stopa said changes have been made, but that moving some programs around, identifying an SRTC entryway and other changes would fix what he sees as a problem.

He said he’s seen a change in the Sanford Core Construction Committee, which oversees the project, since late last summer. He believes the committee ”“ made up of councilors, school committee members and others ”“ is less willing to listen to other opinions these days.

“I was told ”¦ I was out of touch,” said Stopa, who was a member of the committee until his job ended.

Williams said integration ”“ both in educational specifications and the building itself ”“ has been in the mix for at least five years.

“There has been a very vocal minority who likes things to remain the same way they’ve always been,” said Williams, referring to the separation of the high school and vocational school on the current campus. “That’s not our vision or what our educational specs called for.”

Integration has been a topic in other parts of the country for the past several years.

In a 2008 article in the online magazine of the Association for Career and Technical Education, Gene Bottoms, of the Southern Regional Education Board, wrote that, “states looking to improve student achievement, reduce dropout rates and prepare more students for college and a career are encouraging high schools to blend rigorous academic studies with intellectually demanding career and technical education studies.”

Williams said there’s been a lot of input along the way, and said there are many students not currently exposed to technical education who could benefit from it.

She said design changes have been made to the plans, like moving health education next to EMT and fire science programs on the ground floor, and an area has been created where students from partner schools can gather, and more.

“They want complete separation, and that is not what has been worked on for the past five years,” Williams said. “There won’t be two separate entrances. That’s never been the plan. It’s not going to happen.”

Williams said she could not speak to Stopa’s termination by Theoharides, the superintendent, citing personnel rules. Theoharides is on vacation and available for comment.

Long-time SRTC counselor Roland Legere, a firm supporter of the new school, is hoping more changes can be made.

“I do support curricular integration,” he said. But Legere, who has counseled students at SRTC for 35 years, said proximity integration will dilute the SRTC identity, and, in some cases, just isn’t practical. Technical students and academic students often have different schedules, he pointed out, and having one portion of the “pathway” out of class while another is still working can be distracting. He said he’s optimistic and is hoping for additional design changes.

Parent Cynthia Bixby of Lyman said one of her sons is preparing to attend SRTC this fall, and she and her husband expect some of their seven other children will follow suit. The couple has attended several core construction committee meetings.

“We’re concerned,” she said. “It’s not a regional technical center anymore. They’re trying to filter every high school student through the tech (school).”

Bixby said she’s worried that so many academic high school students will take tech programs that there won’t be enough slots for the sending schools, which include Massabesic, Marshwood, Noble, Traip Academy, Wells and York.

Legere said currently, 70 percent of SRTC is made up of students from partner schools. This fall, enrollment at SRTC is projected at 508 students.

Sanford’s Deputy Mayor Maura Herlihy, a member of the core construction committee, said every time a concern has been raised, the architect has looked at options.

“But you don’t win every argument,” she said. “Everyone has an opinion. I understand compromises have to be made sometimes because of cost, and you have to look at the entire school and what is best for the entire student population.”

Herlihy said separate entrances “builds walls,” but that the design, as currently presented, gives opportunities to as many students as possible in the region.

“(The design) gives all students a wonderful exposure to what is possible,” said Herlihy.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].