Valley Regional High School (VRHS) is hosting a two-week summer program that will bring 30 students and two teachers from China to the tri-town area, and potentially up to four students joining the VRHS students during the 2017-’18 school year. While most seem in favor of the program, the contract that enables the program has led to criticism.

According to Superintendent of Schools Ruth Levy, Region 4 schools has contracted with Spiral International to run the summer program from July 17 through 28, with the Chinese students arriving on July 16 and leaving on July 28. Local students who want to be international student ambassadors will be able to attend the summer program free of charge. The program itself has been in the works for the past two years, and came about due to requests from the VRHS body to have additional international experiences available to them.

According to Levy, no contracts were signed with Spiral until after they were approved by the Board of Education for Region 4, and this is done with the full knowledge of parent committees. Should students from China choose to attend VRHS, there is a dual application process and, should these students be accepted, they would each pay $23,500 to Spiral, $21,500 of which would be remitted to VRHS as tuition fees. At this time, there are no Chinese students accepted on a tuition basis for the 2017-’18 year.

“It’s extremely exciting and positive; the possibility of tuition to offset the budget is an additional benefit,” said VRHS Principal Mike Barile. “We have talked about it with the student body and they are very excited.”

However, the implementation of the program, and specifically, the language of the contract signed by the Board of Education with Spiral has some members of the community calling for a deeper conversation about the logistics and potential implications of this program.

Jim Carey, an Essex resident and attorney whose children attend the Region 4 schools, was approached by another parent in the district who said that Region 4 was adopting a program similar to one in East Lyme, but without a discussion with community stakeholders. Carey filled a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the school board for the contracts and all documents pertaining to the discussions leading up the contracts being signed between the Board of Education and Spiral. He then sent copies of the contracts—one for the summer program, the other for the school-year program—to members of the community.

“Anyone wouldn’t be happy about finding out the details of the contract after it has been signed,” said Carey, who also contends that the language of the contract, especially that of the school-year program, creates a shift in the mission statement of the schools if enacted to the fullest extent of the contract.

The portion Carey highlights in particular is language that allows for up to 30 tuition-paying international students to become a part of the VRHS student body. The contract states: “Region 4 shall allow a maximum of 30 participants to attend classes and age-appropriate school-sponsored activities in Region 4, including extra-curricular activities and athletic teams, and provide services and supports to participants in the same manner as it does all of its other students.”

“This should be discussed with stakeholders, especially, if and when we start selling off units of education,” said Carey. “The community has got to be involved.”

Carey cited concerns about the district’s ability to take on 30 students in terms of needed resources and how it might affect resource allocation for current students.

“It’s good on paper, but in practice I don’t know that we are ready. And if we are not set up to do this well, we shouldn’t do this, for the sake of our kids and the exchange students,” said Carey. “I’d like to see the next Board of Education meeting full with people to have a conversation and open up dialogue about this.”

In response to criticism of the program, Levy reiterated that the process has been ongoing for the past two years, discussed publicly at Region 4 Board of Education meetings, and discussed during the 9th-grade orientation at the beginning of the school year.

“It’s kind of disconcerting that some people feel like there hasn’t been enough communication. It’s certainly been out there,” said Levy.

In a conversation prior to the release of the statement, Levy had stated that the school would not take more than one or two international students for the school year.

At this time there are no meetings planned by the Region for Board of Education to specifically discuss this program. The next Region 4 Board of Education Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m. at John Winthrop Middle School.