New London - The plan to move a program for students with emotional disabilities into Harbor School has been delayed because district officials were recently told renovations to the school will require a city building permit.

"We had thought we were reasonably prepared to move ahead, but we have been told that, for what the specifications are, we may need to get a building permit and have drawings done," Superintendent Nicholas A. Fischer said at a Thursday meeting of the Board of Education's school facilities and program design committee. "We are on the road to getting that done now."

In September, Fischer announced a plan to move the High Road program, which serves students in grades six through 12 who have emotional disabilities, from Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School to Harbor School as soon as renovations to the Montauk Avenue building are completed. Those renovations, which are paid for by High Road, were expected to be completed this month.

The need for a building permit was necessitated by what High Road, which is operated by the for-profit special and alternative education provider Specialized Education Services Inc., requires for its classrooms.

"I think this is a reaction to a desire ... of High Road to change some of the interior walls and do some electrical (work)," state-appointed special master Steven J. Adamowski said. "So the minute you do that, you trigger a building permit and the picture changes."

The more-than-100-year-old school building, which has been vacant since June 30, does not pose a safety hazard and could be used by other programs that would not require structural changes, Fischer said.

"If we don't do any structural modifications ... if we just cleaned the building up, we could walk in there right now," he said.

The modifications requested by High Road include the construction of "timeout rooms" which would require some alteration of the interior walls and enhanced electrical service, Adamowski said.

As soon as the building permit issue is ironed out and the renovations are complete, the 20 students in the High Road program would move to Harbor School. In the future, Fischer said, the district hopes to incorporate up to 60 New London students into the program and also attract students from outside the district.

c.young@theday.com