Belen Consolidated Schools is planning to move its Family School to the site of Infinity High School on Becker Avenue in Belen for the 2010-11 school year.

The school was moved at the beginning of the current school year from Eastside School on River Road, after Eastside School was deemed unsafe, condemned and shut down.

Since then, the Family School, which provides part-time classes for homeschooled children, has been located in Valley Community Plaza in Rio Communities at a cost of $2,800 a month plus utilities.

“In tight budget times, and knowing we’re not going to get more money but even less, we’re likely to move it,” said Superintendent Patricia Rael.

Right now, Infinity High School, the district’s alternative high school, is located on Becker Avenue within two portable classrooms set up for that purpose. The district is building a new alternative high school just two blocks south that’s expected to open in the fall.

If everything stays on track, Rael expects Infinity High School students to be in their new building and Family School students to take over the former alternative high school site.

“We haven’t moved Infinity High School students out yet. Could we get backlogged on that? I don’t know,” she said. “It looks like construction is going to end on time.”

Rael said the old alternative high school site will need some adjustments and improvements to create a learning environment for younger students.

“We’ve got big kids there now. We’ll have to change it for little kids,” she said.

This page was published on February 11, 2010 at 9:01am and is filed under Schools.