The joint committee of the Holyoke City Council and School Committee on an item introduced by Councilors Bartley, Jourdain and Graney accepted a working-group recommendation to pursue use of Metcalfe School for alternative educational programs and related headquarters/space planning.

The recommendation came after a report from a Metcalfe working group presented by School Superintendent Anthony Soto, who said the group evaluated roughly 14 options and recommended using Metcalfe for Opportunity Academy–style programs to replace leased space the district now pays $50,000 a year to rent.

The working-group report recommends moving the district’s age‑over, under‑credited Opportunity Academy into Metcalfe and creating a smaller, new alternative program for ninth and tenth graders (with later expansion to middle grades). “This is a really good pathway for them to, you know, step away from the traditional high school setting and do the work that they need to do to catch up on credits and get a diploma,” Superintendent Anthony Soto said. Soto said the current alternative program serves “over 50 students” overall and that daily attendance typically ranges between about 50 and 70 students. He said the new program would start small — “20 to 40 kids” — with room to expand as needed. The working group also recommended exploring whether part of central office could move to Dean and whether the transitions program currently at Open Square could remain there while a longer-term plan is developed.

The discussion also included concerns about student access and parking at Metcalfe and parent resistance to moving transition students back to a traditional high school environment. Councilor Kevin Jourdain, who moved the item from the table, said the century‑old Metcalfe building “is iconic and should be preserved” and asked staff to consider both temporary and long‑term uses that keep students’ needs in mind. School committee member Willahen and others described the Opportunity Academy graduation as a smaller, personal ceremony that has helped some older students complete requirements they otherwise would have missed.

The committee also considered a separate order asking the city to install flashing crosswalk signals at two crosswalks near Metcalfe School. Councilors noted there is currently no designated crossing guard and that school staff sometimes assist students crossing the street. Superintendent Soto told the committee that Metcalfe historically had most students bused but that rezoning has increased walkers and that crossing guards are hard to recruit. He also recommended the committee involve the fire department’s alarm division for push‑button or signal troubleshooting if infrastructure is in question.

The committee voted to remove the Metcalfe item from the table and later voted that the item had been complied with (voice votes; recorded as adopted by the committee). On the crosswalk order, the committee voted to table the item and requested a report from the Department of Public Works and the fire department’s alarm division about the status of any existing signal infrastructure and options for flashing signals or guards.

The superintendent and the working group recommended using consultants for space‑planning studies before any final decisions on central‑office consolidation or program moves. The school department emphasized it would try to limit capital requests to the city for Metcalfe work and noted some furniture or modest capital changes would likely be needed if programs move.

The committee said it will continue reviewing the working‑group report, include it on the full school committee agenda, and pursue consultant cost estimates and options for retaining the Open Square transition program if families prefer it to remain there.