Date: Fri 12-Jun-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

council-school-Pilchard

Full Text:

School Proposal Stirs Debate Over Capital Priorities

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Though the Board of Education is already talking up the plan, its proposal for

a new $22 million school for fifth and sixth graders is still a long way from

becoming reality. Assuming the project is endorsed by the Legislative Council,

taxpayers won't get to vote on it until April of the year 2000, according to

the school board's planned timeline.

However, the issue is already stirring emotions of town officials who sparred

with one another over the issue earlier this week. The thought of spending

that much money so soon after the town spent millions of dollars for school

renovations is politically daunting school officials say. Plus, the town has

several high-cost projects on the horizon. The town's bond rating stands to

suffer as well, some town officials worry.

But Board of Education members say the need for a fifth- and sixth-grade

school can no longer be ignored as the town's student population soars. And

while it seems a bit early to start talking about a school that would not be

built until the year 2001, school officials say the process must begin now. On

Monday, they went before the Legislative Council's finance committee seeking

the OK to submit an application for state aid. The deadline for application is

June 30.

"This simply locks us in to this year's reimbursement rate. Next year's rate

will be lower," explained Board of Education chairman Amy Dent.

Council finance committee member Melissa Pilchard, however, is afraid the

public will read more into it than that. The longtime council member worried

about the hurried nature of the project and wondered how taxpayers would react

to another large-scale school project, especially as the town explores its

potentially expensive options for creating the additional office space it

desperately needs.

"The public perception will be that we're going ahead with this and leaving

other things behind," Mrs Pilchard said. "I can't support a $22 million

project that I haven't had the chance to study."

Mrs Pilchard, who called herself the "fall guy" for speaking out, said she

resents the school board coming up with a figure, then telling the town --

this is what we need.

"In my mind, our municipal space needs are more important than a new school at

this time," she said. "It's a question of priorities. We can't have our town

employees at Canaan House forever. And now we find out that there's a problem

with the (Hook & Ladder Fire Company) firehouse" (See related story).

Nevertheless, the finance committee voted, 2-1, to recommend to the full

council that the school board receive approval to seek a state grant. This

also means the council would need to put the project on its capital

improvement plan for next year. The full council will vote on the request at

its next meeting June 17.

Mrs Pilchard voted against the idea, while John Kortze and Karen Blawie both

reluctantly voted in favor.

"It's an awful lot of money to spend in such a short period of time after just

having spent a lot of money on schools," Mr Kortze said.

According to the education space needs committee report, there were three main

factors which prompted it to recommend a new school be built. Committee

members Mike Portnoy and Joan Salbu said there was a clear increase in

approved lots, building permits and actual houses being built (about 200 per

year). Also, there has been a "tremendous" increase in the number of births,

and finally, the committee found that the number of students moving in to town

as opposed to those moving out has averaged more than 10 per month over the

past year.

But, as council chairman Pierre Rochman pointed out, the question "is not do

we need a school? It is how do we put all these things together and what do we

do first. We don't want to see the tax rate go through the roof."

During the meeting, educational space needs committee member Walter Motyka

discussed the possibility of renovating Watertown Hall, the building at

Fairfield Hills which the state gave to the town, for school usage. He called

the building a viable option, even if only for temporary use. He estimated the

renovation cost would be in the area of $3.5 million.

Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed said the costs for the new school are

"pretty cut and dry" since the town has state requirements for square footage

per student.

Mr Rochman suggested that both the school board and the council meet together

on a regular basis to discuss plans at an early stage.