The first meeting of the Future Forecast Committee was Tuesday, March 15, and Superintendent of Schools Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, introduced members to the group's task and timeline.

The committee is charged, Dr Erardi said, by the Board of Education to present a report on the district's current and future space needs to the school board by the end of June. Dr Erardi said the group will also answer "if and the then" scenarios.

"If there is a middle school closing, what happens? If there is an elementary school closing, what happens? If there is no school closing, what happens?" Dr Erardi explained for the committee members.

A Facilities and Enrollment Committee presented a report to the Board of Education in June 2015. That study, which was presented by Dr Erardi to the school board, recommended closing Hawley Elementary School due to declining enrollment, and it offered cost estimates for closing the elementary school or Newtown Middle School. At a June 24 special meeting, the Board of Education unanimously decided that no school would be closed for the 2016-17 school year, and it would continue its general discussion on the best use of school district facilities.

At a February 4 meeting the school board voted to charge the new committee to "research the use of school facilities in light of projected enrollment changes in Newtown."

The February charge also asked the new committee's report to include details from the 2015 district facilities study, discussion on "why numbers from peak enrollment are not comparable to numbers now," and next steps for school facilities usage.

Future Forecast Committee members present for the first meeting were Newtown High School Principal Lorrie Rodrigue, Newtown Middle School Principal Tom Einhorn, Reed Intermediate School Principal Anne Uberti, Hawley Elementary School Principal Christopher Moretti, resident Karyn Holden, and Board of Education members Andrew Clure, Rebekah Harriman-Stites, and John Vouros.

Dr Erardi told the Board of Education Tuesday evening that he anticipates two more community members will work with the committee. He also told the committee members Tuesday morning Assistant Superintendent of Schools Jean Evans Davila, district Business Director Ron Bienkowski, and district Facilities Director Gino Faiella will assist the committee.

Dr Erardi said last year's Facilities and Enrollment Committee "went through a fairly sophisticated analysis" and the information will be used for this year's study. Transportation, he said, will also be part of the committee's investigation.

Committee members were separated into subcommittees to look at the three scenarios: no school closing, closing an elementary school, and closing the middle school.

Dr Erardi said the committee's meetings, which will be held mostly weekly until June, will serve as working meetings to discuss information and efforts.

The next scheduled Future Forecast Committee meetings are March 22 and March 29 at Newtown Municipal Center.