Fairfield's High School Boundary Lines Split Friendships & Families Over a Generation Ago

Childhood friendships forged in elementary school and junior high school were often put to the test if the children eventually attended different public high schools in Fairfield based on where they lived. That was often the case for students who "grew up" together in private or parochial schools, despite living on separate sides of town.

But can you imagine a family with siblings who were enrolled at both Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe high schools at the same time? That's exactly what happened in the Vida household in Fairfield over a generation ago.

"This is actually a very interesting story," said Mark Vida, who graduated from Andrew Warde High School in 1976. "I went to Warde because all my friends from grammar school (Holy Family for eight years), were going there," he admitted. "When I got there the first few days, I fell in love with the place and made many new friends really fast."

However, there was one "little" glitch. The Vida home, located on Sigwin Drive, was technically located in the Roger Ludlowe district in September of 1972. It was up to the school administration to resolve the dilemma, and in a hurry.

"On that Friday, I got called into headmaster's office (Mr. Guss), and he informed me that where I lived was actually in the Ludlowe district, and as of that Monday I was to report to Ludlowe's office to be placed in my new homeroom there," added Vida, pictured to the left in the 1976 Flame yearbook. "To say that I was upset was an understatement."

Mark wasn't too thrilled about the prospect of being separated from his friends and being sent to the "other" high school. He wasn't about to accept the transfer. So what happened at the meeting?

"I informed him that I was quitting school and walked out of his office and walked home," he recalled. "As it turned out, the wall in my backyard was the Warde/Ludlowe line, and they were going to make me go to Ludlowe."

It was time for Mark's family to come to his aid. "That's when my Mom, God love her, went to bat for me with the Board of Ed and the school, and (she) fought so that I could stay in Warde," Mark said. "I'm so glad she did. I couldn't imagine not knowing all the great people I met in my four years there."

The story doesn't end there, however. Mark's younger brother, Craig, entered high school two years later. Care to guess where he attended high school?

"When my brother Craig was ready to go to high school, the Board of Ed made sure they spelled out the districts, leaving no questions, and he had to go to Ludlowe," admitted Mark, who works in Bridgeport and Weston as a financial advisor with Fairfield County Bank/Infinex Investments. Craig, who currently works in the Black Rock Turnpike post office, graduated from Ludlowe in 1978.

"As far as I knew, I set such a strong precedent, no one on my street went to school out of district. Of course, there was always the rivalry between Warde and Ludlowe, and you know who always won that argument," he joked.

There's even more to the family story, believe it or not. All four Vida siblings actually attended different high schools. "Tony, the oldest, wanted to go to trade school, so he went to Bullard Havens in Bridgeport," Mark added. "He took a bus from Fairfield to school every day for the first two years." And, his younger sister, Karen, attended Notre Dame High School in Fairfield.

How difficult was it getting to and from school for Mark and his siblings? "Getting to school was another story," he pointed out. "We would walk, ride our bikes, get rides from friends or from Mom or Dad, or (do) whatever it took, but we managed," he said.

Mark was one of over 200 attendees at the AWHS Class of 1976 30-year reunion three years ago. "Our committee did a fantastic job in putting together the event at Testo's, and I've heard nothing but good things from everyone who attended," he said.

"It was nice seeing a lot of the 'kids' from school I had not seen in years, some as long as 30 years ago! I do stay in touch with a lot of them, though, still today and hope to for the rest of my life."

Do you have a similar story? Were you separated from your friends or family when you attended high school? And what was it like? I'd like to hear from you.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".