Date: Fri 05-Jun-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

council-school-funding

Full Text:

Council To Take Up Issue Of New School

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The Board of Education is moving ahead quickly in its efforts to build a new

school in Newtown. The issue has already been placed on the Legislative

Council's June 17 agenda.

Talk of a new school for fifth- and sixth-grade students has suddenly grown

serious as the local building boom continues unabated with between 200-250 new

houses built annually. New households average 1.6 children, according to

school enrollment projections.

Architects are estimating the cost of the new school to be $22 million. A

final decision on whether a school will be built is still a long way off. Any

project of that size must first be approved by taxpayers at a referendum.

However, the school board does need the Legislative Council to put the

proposed project in its capital improvement plan in order to file an

application for state aid by the end of this month.

Why the rush? The town stands to lose as much as $88,000 in reimbursements if

it does not file its application before the start of the new fiscal year (July

1), according to John Torok, the school business manager. Currently, Newtown

is ranked 41st in wealth among the 169 towns in the state. That ranking gives

it a 34.29 percent reimbursement rate. By July 1, the town's wealth ranking

will rise to 40, lowering the reimbursement rate to 33.93 percent.

"There is no financial commitment right now," explained Mr Torok. "Legislative

Council approval only authorizes us to lock in to the current reimbursement

rate."

By filing the application by June 30, the town would also stand to receive its

state aid a year earlier.

"We want to get this done so that we don't have to wait 12 months to

re-apply," explained Legislative Council Chairman Pierre Rochman.

Rusty Malek of Kaestle Boos Architects, Inc, of New Britain came up with the

$22 million cost figure based on standard building cost rates and the minimum

square footage per student required by the state.

"We use a high number just to make sure that we're in line for state

reimbursement," Mr Rochman said. "It doesn't mean the school will be built for

that price."

Mr Rochman said there appears to be little dispute from council members over

the school board's decision that another school is needed.

"It seems to be a reasonable solution to our space needs for the future," he

said.

Newtown's school-age population continues to grow fast, according to a recent

enrollment report prepared by consultants for the Board of Education. Newtown

Middle School will be at full capacity in the next year, and the elementary

schools will be at full capacity within three years.

The new school would be centrally located and accommodate between 900 to 1,000

students, according to school officials. It would likely take two to three

years to build.

Newtown's state aid for school projects continues to decrease. In 1991, the

town received a 51 percent reimbursement from Hartford for both the Middle

Gate and Sandy Hook school expansion projects. The town received a 37 percent

reimbursement from the state for the renovation and addition of Newtown High

School last year. Two years ago, Newtown was ranked 51st in the state in

wealth.