Triton Middle School (TMS) students have to pick one of more than 15 schools to go to for high school. For some, such as Alexandra Flodman, the choice is due to family legacy, but for others, the choice is for better a better schooling environment.

There are several schools that TMS students can apply to, including Essex Technical High School, Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School, and the recently opened Academy at Penguin Hall.  Both Essex Tech and Whittier offer many different vocational shop teachings, as well as many occupational areas. The Academy at Penguin Hall, however, is an all girls private charter school. Both Essex Tech and Whittier offer various vocational and occupational study areas. Essex Tech also offers an array agricultural areas of study. The Academy at Penguin Hall, however, is an all girls preparatory school, which does not offer specialized training areas.

Triton Regional School District Superintendent, Brian Forget, detailed the reason for students leaving, and the number of kids who leave every year.

“The largest number of students leaving in recent years go on to attend private school or one of the Regional Technical/Agricultural high schools,” Forget said. “I have spoken with many parents of students choosing to leave for these two reasons, and the response if fairly consistent. For those attending private schools, there are many factors that play into that decision, including family tradition, athletics opportunities, or a belief in the opportunities for academics being better. For those attending a Technical/Agricultural school, the reasoning is quite clear, in that a student is looking at a specific trade program that we aren’t able to offer at Triton High School.”

Mr. Alan MacRae, the Triton Middle School principal, echoed Forget’s statement. “For the most part, legacy kids will go to private schools, and living around here, we always have a few students whose parents work in a private school, so their parents might work at St. John’s, and then they can go there for free, which is a good deal. While I know there is a belief that academics are better, I don’t know where that comes from, but wherever it comes from, it is there.”

While some students do not believe that a ‘traditional high school’ is suitable for them, some students, like Alexandra Flodman, do. Flodman came to Triton High School, due in part, to the legacy that her family has in the district.

“I started my time in the Triton District at Pine Grove. Then I went to TMS and now THS. I have two other siblings who have gone to Triton, one who is studying medicine at the University of Rochester, the other who has been accepted to every college he applied to. I figured that if both of my siblings were so successful, I could be too,” Flodman said.

Of course, there was the opportunity for Flodman to go to a different high school, just as there is for every other TMS student.

“While I am aware that I could have gone to tech schools, or even boarding schools, I decided to stay at Triton for several reasons. I will be able to get the education that I need. I also have the opportunity to do video production here, which is something that I would love to pursue. Even as a Freshman, I have been offered amazing opportunities,” Flodman said.

“For some kids, a tech school is better, because they get the hands-on training, and they also can use the skills after they graduate,” Triton Middle School Guidance Counselor, Jamie Salvatore said. “Some kids find that that appeals when they start learning about it in 7th grade, and by the time they are in 8th grade, they know that they want to go there, and they apply. Any decision about where to go to high school is a very involved decision, including the entire family, especially for kids going to a private school, since they are expensive and the expense requires the family to start planning years before.”

According to Triton’s Central Office, over the last 12 years, the average number of students leaving the District for a technical school or a private school is 14 students per year. (Although Triton is losing approximately 14 students per year between 8th and 9th grade, an average of 5.67 students enter the District between that same time period.)

Others, however, are not as sure as Flodman is that Triton best suits them for high school. Such is the case with Helena Strauch, a current a 8th grader at TMS.

Strauch applied to the Academy at Penguin Hall.

According to Salvatore, she is one of three girls who applied.

“I wanted to go to a school where all the students have the same goal, that way we can work together to achieve them. I feel that public schools, like Triton, wouldn’t have that environment. The school that I am going to is an all-girls school. I like the idea that I can focus on my school work in an all-girls environment. The school also focuses on self confidence because there is a lot of public speaking at the school, and the girls get to help improve the school (the dress code, amount of homework, etc,)” Strauch said.

While the choice about where to go to high school is multi-faceted and there are months, if not years, of preparation that goes into deciding where to go to school, Salvatore aims for one thing. “I never try to sway them in one direction or another, because I want them to do what is best for them, and I want them to be happy.”

Triton students have the option to go to:

1. St. John’s
2. Central Catholic
3. Bishop Fenwick
4. Academy at Penguin Hall
5. Governor’s Academy
6. Any school-choice supported school
7. Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School
8. Essex Technical High School
9. Clark School
10. River Valley Charter School
11. Sparhawk School
12. Pingree School
13. Glen Urquhart
14. The Waring School
15. Triton Regional High School