A New School Year With the Chariho Alternative Learning Academy

After about a year's worth of construction, the Chariho Alternative Learning Academy welcomed students this year to a new building structured to fit all of their needs.

In the new Chariho Alternative Learning Academy (CALA) building, there are two different programs. The first program, called the Clinical Day Program, is for students in Kindergarten to 12th Grade who are in need of mental health and behavioral support as well as a comprehensive education. The second program, called the Alternative Learning Program, is for struggling students in 7th to 12th Grade who need a smaller learning environment and a more hands-on and individualized approach.

Jeanne Ross, the director of the Chariho Alternative Learning Academy, is delighted to have this new facility for her incoming and returning students.

“It’s a different facility, it’s a different mindset,” says Director Ross. “We are now trying to have students realize that they have a sense of worth. This is an important building and shows to them that the community has made an investment in their future.”

As for the programs, Ross says, “it’s just a different approach.” She says that the programs have smaller classes so there are more opportunities for students to interact and get to know an adult. Not only that, the programs have a lot of hands-on projects and community-based learning.

Before Chariho had the new CALA facility, it had 26 disintegrating trailers bolted together. Although the trailers were not designed to be permanent for twelve years, they had been. Ross says that when it came to the attention of Chariho School Committee member Lisa Macaruso, she spearheaded the movement to get a new facility built.

Along with members of the Chariho School Committee, Superintendent Barry Ricci also lead the movement to build a new building.

“We had to make a decision about do we get new trailers or do we build a building.” He continued, “We were paying $110,000 a year to lease those trailers. So, you compare that to building a new building where the state is going to pay 65% of it. And financially it made no sense to invest that kind of money in a [group of trailers] we would never own or want to own.”

Unlike the old trailers, this new building also offers students a gymnasium, science labs, a cafeteria, and state of the art classrooms.

“The building allows for small group instruction and kind of larger group instruction in the same area,” said Ricci. “That kind of design makes it very different and more fitting to the needs of the students.”

With this, Ricci mentions the responsibility of equity that the school district has to every student it serves.

“Equitable means that everyone gets what they need,” Ricci said. “And as a public school, we have a responsibility to make sure every student gets what they need student.”

Agreeing with Ricci, Ross says, “With this facility, we are more able to give the students what they need and when they need it. We’re not dictated by the schedule, but instead, are more dictated by what’s the need of the student.”

Since the programs provide smaller classes than the traditional school, the new facility and programs make sure the needs of every student are met. As a result of meeting this individualized learning criteria, the CALA also gives the students more self-respect for themselves and their school.

“This building has given the students a sense of pride.” Ross went on to say, “You can see it in their step when they are coming into this building, their heads are not laying low. They are more prideful and more happy to come to school.”

From her position, Ross sees the program and the facility as “inspiring.” She says, “Every day there is a situation or student that comes to me that refocuses why we’re here. That reestablishes my connection to them, my connection to why we're here and why we do what we do. Every day it's inspiring."