Fortunate Not To Follow Where IPN Would Have Led

To the Editor:

While Schools Superintendent Janet Robinson might be commended for being open about reporting that flawed population projection numbers defined our plans for a high school expansion, her reasoning that the decline in student enrollment was caused by the economy is flawed.

During the planning of the high school expansion, our town officials repeatedly questioned the projections for enrollment increases being used by the Board of Education. For years now, a downward enrollment trend in Connecticut schools has been expected. The children of the Baby Boomers have completed their K to 12 education and each successive generation becomes smaller.

It was the push by Po Murray and Gary Davis to build a new high school building at Fairfield Hills that spawned the Independent Party of Newtown.

When bids for the expansion of the existing high school came in $6 million higher than the $40 million that was approved by the taxpayers, IPN first selectman candidate Bruce Walczak stated “The Independent Party of Newtown has voted to support the additional appropriation [of $6 million] after careful review, research, and analysis of the data available.”

Fortunately, the majority voting had the good sense not to approve an additional $6 million. It was obvious to many of us that rebidding would result in lower bids, reflecting the state of the economy, and that is exactly what happened. Where would a tax-and-spend IPN-led government have led us?

Jan Andras

Republican Candidate

Legislative Council District 1

16 Poverty Hollow Road, Newtown                          October 16, 2009