Finance Board Seeks Clarity On School, Town Spending

By John Voket

The Newtown Board of Finance put to rest any rumors or ideas its members were out to stop or unnecessarily delay a high school expansion project Monday following an impromptu vote on the matter. The call for a show of hands on who wanted to stop the high school project was tendered by finance board chair John Kortze during a dialog with school board vice chairman Lisa Schwartz about a recently delivered consultant’s report on school enrollment projections.

During the dialog, Ms Schwartz said the Board of Education was in the process of formulating a position paper, which she said would advocate for staying the course and building out the high school to accommodate an eventual expected population of 2,022 students. Ms Schwartz then said she was under the impression most of the finance board members wanted to stop the high school project, which prompted Mr Kortze to call for a vote.

None of the five board members present raised their hands, indicating they all wanted to see the project move forward in some capacity. Mr Kortze and fellow board members have long contended that a general student population decline is expected due to the slowing population growth in town and a drop off in new housing starts, which would have  a direct impact on the scope of the proposed expansion.

The latest student population report generated by district consultant Dr Peter Prowda reflected a total district student decline during the next decade of about 800. The document reflected an increase, however, in the high school population figure over today’s 1,732 student enrollment by about 50.

This week Mr Kortze reiterated his month-old request for a meeting with school board and district officials so his board can get a firm grasp on buildout costs accommodate the best student population estimate, without overbuilding.

The finance chair has suggested even the nominal savings of several million dollars on the $41 million project would be beneficial. That sentiment was echoed by school board members Kathy Fetchick and Anna Wiedemann who both told The Bee this week they would want to see any savings on a high school build out applied to fast tracking roof repairs and imminently needed renovations at the Newtown Middle School.

Ms Fetchick and Ms Wiedemann, both newly elected to the school board,  said they were hearing about the position paper for the first time this week, and were perplexed to hear the district was scripting such a position without their input. Both school board officials said they believe it would be more beneficial to expedite a face-to-face meeting among other town leaders and the finance board, versus moving forward defending the expansion with a position paper.

The only other newly elected school board member, Lillian Bittman, said she was aware of the paper, but could not remember exactly when she learned about it.

The finance board is facing a delay in endorsing a revised Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) because of the lack of clarity on exact costs related to expanding the high school and specifics on a series of renovations at the middle school.

“We’ve been asking for this dialogue for months and months,” Mr Kortze said. He also reminded Ms Schwartz and school business director Ronald Bienkowski, who also attended, that the finance board reserved the right to adjust its recommendation on the high school appropriation pending a full discussion and consensus on projected population numbers.

Ms Schwartz said she and the school board were awaiting confirmation of a conference call with Mr Prowda regarding his methodology in reaching his projections. She said the consultant’s report was distinctly different than reports he formerly filed as a population expert with the Connecticut Department of Education.

“I looked at the 2005 report from him and the structure of that report is different; I question his methodology,” Ms Schwartz said. “I don’t want to go forward [with discussions] without a more comprehensive picture.”

When asked by Mr Kortze, given the data and trends the town is experiencing in its housing starts and population growth, if Ms Schwartz thought a discussion on population projections was warranted, she replied, “Yes, that would be a fair conversation to have.”

Monday night, the board expected to begin finalizing the municipal-side CIP as well, but was delayed on that front because First Selectman Joseph Borst said he was not prepared to make any comments that evening.

“I’m just here to learn,” Mr Borst said.

Mr Kortze told The Bee he put Mr Borst on the agenda following two previous meetings and a phone call earlier that day clarifying that the newly elected first selectman was prepared to move forward discussing the town-side capital project plan. During the meeting, Mr Kortze said he was under the impression the first selectman would come prepared after previously consulting with his fellow selectmen about any potential changes to the CIP.

“We assumed you were up to snuff having been on the council,” Mr Kortze said. “We wanted to give you the courtesy to make sure it was what you want.”

Following the meeting, Mr Kortze emphasized that his board needed the input and cooperation of the first selectman and the school district.