The End of an Experiment

In July 2016, the Warren Street Academy was inaugurated with great celebration and ceremony. Dan Udell was there to document the proceedings. The image below is a screen capture from his video.

Appearing in the picture above, from left to right, are Bruce Potter, superintendent of the Berkshire Union Free School District; Maria Suttmeier, superintendent of the Hudson City School District; Dan Kent of Galvan Initiatives Foundation; and Michael Sadowski, director of Bard in Hudson Civic Academy.

A week ago, on Friday, March 20, it was announced that the Warren Street Academy would cease to exist on June 30, 2020. In a letter to parents and guardians, Daniel Kalbfliesh, principal of WSA, explained:

On behalf of the staff at Warren Street Academy and the Berkshire Union Free School District I am writing to inform you that the Berkshire Union Free School District will be closing on June 30th. We had hoped that a takeover by our BOCES, Questar III, would have been possible to help continue the Warren Street Academy. Unfortunately, that is not the reality, Warren Street Academy will also be dissolving June 30th. Questar III has assured us that programs would be offered to meet the needs of the students in our program.

The letter can be read in its entirety here.

Of course, this raises the question of what's in store for 11 Warren Street. In February, it was reported that the Galvan Foundation, which owns the building, had reneged on its offer to create a new facility for the Salvation Army in the building. Did Galvan not know a month ago that the Warren Street Academy would soon cease to exist? Perhaps the plan is to relocate Bard Early College Hudson, now at 364 Warren Street, to the space now occupied by the Warren Street Academy as well as the rest of the building. Only time will tell.
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