Finance Members Hear School Capital Spending Plans, Consolidation Option

By Kendra Bobowick

With a scaled back version of its Capital Improvement Plan requests in hand Monday night, Board of Education Vice Chair Debbie Leidlein presented her board’s funding requests to finance board members.

For the academic years 2012-13 through 2015-16 she noted school projects at costs of between $600,000 and $1.8 million less than originally discussed. Addressing the finance members Monday, she explained, “We kept in mind the balance between town and school projects.”

She then discussed the projects that were “reduced in scope,” and “cut down.”

As stated in a document she distributed this week, “We have reduced the Hawley [boiler, heater, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades and repairs] project by $700,000 by reducing the scope.” By reworking the project, the document explains, “This will eliminate the need to repipe … boilers will be replaced with high efficiency boilers in order to save on fuel costs …”

In light of potential future drops in enrollment and possible school closings — she spoke about ideas to close the middle school — Ms Leidlein noted the next reduction in capital funding requests for the year 2013-14.

The document states, “We have decided to move out the middle school renovation project to year 2014-15. We feel that at that time we will be better able to gauge if in fact we will be looking to close Newtown Middle School.”

That change reduces the 2013-14 request by $630,000.

Changes in the education board’s CIP also related to high school auditorium renovation work. As her document explained, “We are researching now to see if we might divide this project into two phases…”

Looking at requests for the year 2014-15, middle school fees are moved into this year as well as an elementary school building window replacement project.

As her document states, “We have been replacing windows at elementary schools for years, however, by bundling the windows together in one package it would be more cost efficient and would provide a more expeditious process.

Also during that year they will be better able to gauge if the Hawley ventilation system installed the prior year will decrease the need for as extensive an air conditioning project as originally thought. She explained that the total saved for 2014-15 is $840,000.

Changes and adjustments to the CIP also see $1.8 million cost savings in 2015-16. The Board of Education passed the board’s roughly $16 million five-year CIP proposal in August.

Finance member Martin Gersten asked Ms Leidlein, “Where does [the Board of Education] stand on its analysis of shutting down a school?”

“The consensus is we are looking at closing the middle school if [enrollment] projections are true.” The school’s potential year for closing is 2017. Reed Intermediate School would house grades six through eight.

“Have you considered closing Hawley?” Mr Gersten asked.

Ms Leidlein explained that the education board members felt that closing the middle school “gives us more flexibility.” If enrollment should “begin to creep up” in the future, enrollment in the elementary schools would rise first, she said.

Thinking again about the CIP requests just presented, Mr Gersten said, “It’s difficult for this board to approve money for a school that might not exist.”

“We kept the middle school in the CIP because those fixes would need to happen no matter what the uses of the building,” Ms Leidlein said.

Member James Gaston asked, “Did you not consider Hawley because of legal issues with the trust?” Long-ago town benefactress Mary Hawley gifted several buildings to Newtown, including Hawley Elementary School and a modest trust that she established for its upkeep.

If Hawley were to close, then reopen at a future point, Ms Leidlein explained, “There would need to be a lot of renovations if Hawley were to reopen as a school.”

Mr Gaston also asked about plans for full-day kindergarten.

“We would like to see that come to fruition,” Ms Leidlein said, “but we have to look at economic impacts.”

First Selectman Pat Llodra asked if Reed Intermediate School would be able to accommodate portable classrooms if deemed necessary in the future. The most likely location, she learned, would be the soccer field beside the school.

Member Joseph Kearney asked if the education board had considered leaving grades six and seven at Reed, and relocating the eighth grade to the high school.

“We would prefer not to put eighth grade into the high school for social reasons,” Ms Leidlein explained. If the eighth grade did move to the high school, she said, “We would want to keep them separate. It could be an option, but not the most desirable.”

Bringing the conversation back to the middle school, Mr Gersten said, “I am concerned about spending money on the middle school … spend money, then close.”

Mrs Llodra answered, “Unless the building could serve another municipal need.”

In closing, Mr Kortze stressed that backup impact statements be developed for district CIP plans.