CHAPLIN, Conn. -- A school's future in doubt months ago is now strengthened with a new resolve to become bigger and better.

The plan to build a new school to replace Parish Hill High School, which serves students from Brooklyn, Scotland, Chaplin and Hampton, is being replaced for the time being with a plan to improve the school.

Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Dan Kain reported the school held a career fair on Thursday, speaking with graduates and others who have pursued careers in teaching, law enforcement, veterinary medicine and other fields.

Despite the plans, the question of the facility's future remained in the background.

It was voted by the towns of Hampton, Chaplin and Scotland to move forward with it. Brooklyn did not vote in favor, so that proposal is dead. Our opportunity now is to create something special here at Parish Hill and make this school viable and improve it," said Brian Murphy, deputy commissioner of operations with the state Department of Correction.

Proposed school consolidations are always contentious, but the feeling at Parish Hill these days is to build on what they have, Kain said.

"I think people are always going to debate what our status is and where we should go. We advocate for the school. We think it's an excellent school and we feel that we have a lot of potential," School Superintendent Ken Enrici said. "Certainly, we need to improve as any school needs to improve, and we intend on doing so."

The potential of a cooperative school for the four towns is still on the table.

"There will be a dissolution study for this school; however, there are many citizens that don't want this school to go away," Enrici said. "We want to retain our community school, retain control of our students and we don't want to ship our children out."