Wareham High Night School to move into its own building

The Wareham High Night School is moving to its own permanent location after years of sharing classrooms with day school students.

The night school, also called the Pathways to Academic Student Success Program, offers  students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma by completing their coursework in the evening.

Currently the school takes in multiple students from Old Rochester, Bourne, Carver, Plymouth, Sandwich and Falmouth. Plymouth and Middleboro schools are doing away with their night school programs which has resulted in an increase of school of choice students coming to Wareham.

Classes will be held in the McDuffy building next to the track.  The building has been used for a variety of purposes, most recently housing Turning Point of Wareham who left the building in March.. 

Night school Principal Jane Fondulis said  she has been hoping for their own space for over eight years.

"The school department never gave up the building,," she said. "Now it has freed up the space that we can finally have our own building."

The two story building is currently under minor renovations in preparation for students to arrive. According to Fondulis, the upper level was in good shape with classrooms and space for a secretary while the downstairs needed some work.

"The maintenance department has been painting the few rooms downstairs," she said. "And after that  we will be getting all the internet and telephones set up."

Teachers for the night school currently have to clean up their spaces when they are completed with class at night as the classrooms are repurposed during the day. Fondulis said in her principal’s report at the Thursday, Sept. 4 School Committee meeting that the extra space could mean more programs in the future.

According to Fondulis, the building could be used as early as Monday, Sept. 15.

"We're crossing our fingers — it might be a week later than that but we'll definitely be there in September," she said.

With the big move comes big staff changes within the school. Fondulis will be retiring Friday, Oct. 31, leaving the school district in former Wareham Elementary Principal Bethany Chandler's hands. 

Fondulis said she is excited for the kids to have their own space and that having the McDuffy building upon her exit is bittersweet. She said the night school was special to her career and that she will be leaving proud of what she's done.

"I am so happy that Beth is going to come into the job with having our own building instead of one hallway," she said. "I have mixed feelings about retiring anyway — but I am looking forward to it."