Susan Tuz
Updated 8:45 pm, Wednesday, February 26, 2014
The long road to referendum is approaching an end in Region 12.The Board of Education Monday approved holding a public hearing on March 4 at 7 p.m. at Shepaug Valley Middle/High School to present the architect's design for the proposed consolidated elementary school and the price tag.
A referendum is tentatively set for April 8 on amending the regionalization plan and approving funding of $40.87 million for a new school and repairs to the middle/high school.
At the March 4 public hearing, residents of the three towns in the district -- Washington, Roxbury and Bridgewater -- will be able to voice their opinions on both proposals. Then the Board of Education will fashion the language for both referendum votes.
"The language has to be specific and give a clear and succinct picture of what will in fact happen if you vote for or against the question," Roxbury board member Kelly Lott said.
At this point, the question on amending the 1967 regionalization plan would be to: "Amend the regional plan eliminating (that) elementary grade k through 5 students remain in their respective hometown schools."
Lott and the three Bridgewater board members argued that the question must include that students would instead attend a consolidated elementary school on the Shepaug campus.
Architects Fletcher-Thompson presented a proposed consolidated school design Monday that will be unveiled at the March 4 public hearing.
With an estimated state reimbursement of $4.4 million, the estimated cost to the region is $28.2 million for the new consolidated school.
Repairs to the Shepaug middle/high school would cost the region $6.9 million, if an estimated $1.3 million reimbursement is received from the state.
The consolidated school building would be 59,000 square feet, located on the present western upper field on the Shepaug campus with its own driveways and parking area, playground and garden.
A one-story building, it would have a secure vestibule entrance with the administrative offices to the right and library to the left of the entrance.
The right side of the building would be the public area with gymnasium/cafeteria. The left side past the library would have two pods -- one wing of classrooms for pre-k, K, and 1st grade and one wing for grades 2, 3, 4 and 5. There would also be an art studio, choral room and band room.
"We considered common topics that came from the public presentations," said Angela Cahill, senior designer with Fletcher-Thompson. "They included a strong community feeling, safety and security, cost efficiency and sustainability."
"We're going for a modern farmhouse look in response to the comments we received from residents," Cahill added.
Roxbury First Selectman Barbara Henry attended Monday's presentation.
"I think they did a very good job," Henry said. "I was glad they had what the state reimbursements would be. However, the percentages are based on where things stand today.
"We can't stay as we are, doing what we're doing. Our population in Roxbury is dropping at a slower rate than in the other two towns. There's a lot to think about," Henry said. "The proposed school is beautiful. Now we just have to see if we can afford it."
stuz@newstimes.com; 860-355-7322
Opines 'it's time to let the dinosaur die'
Published 12:51 pm, Wednesday, February 26, 2014
To the Editor:
It's time to let the dinosaur die.
When I moved to Bridgewater in 1970, Region 12 had just been created with a mandate to provide efficient and effective education for the children of Washington, Roxbury and Bridgewater.
The future was bright, the towns were growing and kids were being born into the community.
Soon after Region 12 was formed in the early 1970s, the federal government declared the region's school board configuration to be in violation of the one-man, one-vote requirement.
I was one of three people from Bridgewater appointed to the restructuring committee.
It met once and created the current board composition.
Over four decades, I have had four children in Region 12 schools. The teachers and administration of Region 12, in my personal experience, have been with few exceptions motivated, eager and focused on their students.
For more than a decade, when my oldest kids were young, I was involved in educational facilities design and construction across North America and elsewhere.
Student enrollment in Region 12 peaked in the early 1970s at approximately 1,300 and is forecast by the region to fall to 461 in 2023.
While purposed to be an effective and efficient provider of educational service, from the beginning Region 12 has been an increasingly and excessively expensive school system.
It is now in a death spiral of cost explosion.
Region 12 currently spends an extraordinarily high $26,829 per student for 797 students.
By comparison, Brookfield spends $14,245 per student and New Milford spends approximately $13,000 per student.
A very significant problem in Region 12 is that the three towns hold widely divergent opinions and ideas about what education their children need. The internecine warfare over the past 30 years has not been pretty to see and reflects poorly on our towns.
I actually support Bill Stuart's years-long efforts to control the out-of-control regional board.
Region 12 has never been able to effectively meet the needs of the three towns. And it can never be effective and efficient as an educational system with a disastrously declining student population.
It is unaffordable and getting worse.
Region 12 is headed for oblivion based on demographics. It would seem wise to act in anticipation of the known disaster rather than wait until a crisis even worse than the current one.
Spending money for unneeded facilities is lunacy.
The solution is to de-regionalize and terminate Region 12. Region 12 is a dinosaur and it is time to let it die.
Each town has fine local school facilities. They may not be the glass and gold that "educational professionals" seem to feel are mandatory to receive a good education.
But they serve the needs, have a long history of providing outstanding education, and can add "glass and gold" as each town desires. High school students will be able to select any of several excellent area high schools to attend.
I would support providing students with a voucher and let them pick any state Board of Education-approved school to attend.
Sell the albatross high school/middle school. It was an interesting idea based on the failed educational concept of open classrooms.
Frankly, it does not work effectively despite millions of dollars of investment for repairs and changes.
The school originally cost $2 million. Pay off all Region 12 debt with the proceeds and distribute the remaining funds to each town school system.
A win-win situation. A new future with hope and opportunities. No more anchors of facilities and disunity.
The current brouhaha about spending millions for unneeded facilities is absurd. The proponents of this approach are out of touch with reality.
I suspect there are a number of high-paying jobs with vested interests advocating this dangerous path to financial destruction.
It is time for local citizens to take back local control of the school system.
The next referendum should be to terminate Region 12, not to bankrupt our towns. I would join with those who are like minded to bring about this change and bring healthy, fresh air change to the education of our children.
It will offer a wonderful new beginning with a vibrant new future for our children.
Bridgewater
