School Building Project

I know that the letter sent out from the Town Council has been generating a lot of discussion this weekend! As someone who has been watching the Building Committee, the Board of Education and the Town Council work on this for the past 5 years, I've forgotten how many of you are just hearing about the project. Here's a little background. Hope it helps!

Under the direction of our last Superintendent, the Board of Education asked the Town Council to explore renovating and adding updated Media centers to each elementary school. A Building Committee was formed to explore that possibility. I started dreaming of a beautiful light filled media center ... I envisioned skylights and ample storage.... (silly me!)

As the exploration continued and cost estimates were generated, the Building Committee was informed that the State of Connecticut required the town to put those estimated costs up against the cost of building  a brand new school. When this was done, it quickly became apparent that building one large elementary school and closing the three existing schools would be the most cost-effective option for the town. And so another year of exploration began.

This time, teams of teachers and parents were asked to visit large elementary schools and think about the potential for Mansfield. We saw many beautiful facilities and it was clear that resource allocation and costs were more efficient when schools were consolidated. It also became clear that one large school would change the "feel" of our programming. No matter how wonderful the facilities were, it took an awful lot of effort to maintain a family feel. That small family feel is something we are all very proud of in Mansfield and no one wanted to lose that.

Another round of cost estimates began and the Building Committee eventually recommended building a new school. The Board of Education then began to hold its own forums. After listening to parent input, The Board of Education asked the Building Committee to determine how much it would cost to build two brand new schools that would be closer in size to what we currently have. Eventually, five different building options were presented. (you can see these options on the town's website)

So began another year of exploration and community conversation. The option of renovating all schools remained a viable choice throughout the process. I stopped dreaming of light filled Media centers and instead put my energy into hoping and praying that a boiler wouldn't break down or that a water line wouldn't rupture. Roof leaks took priority. You see, Goodwin may be a great place to grow and learn but it's getting older - and as we age, maintenance takes on greater meaning!

Last year, after reviewing the work of the Building Committee and the recommendations of the Board of Education, Mansfield's Town Council decided to wait another year before bringing the matter to the voters. Late this fall, the Council took up discussions about the schools again. Cost estimates, revenue options, tax impact and the pros and cons of building versus renovating were debated in open session. After considerable discussion, the Council voted last week to bring forward to referendum a proposal to close all three elementary schools and build two new ones on existing sites. On March 5, the Council will present their recommendation to community members and then will hear public comment. On March 7, the Council will vote on the two sites for the new schools.

Parents are encouraged to attend the Town Council meeting on March 5 to learn more about the process and to offer input. If parents feel strongly about which of the sites should be considered for the new schools, the Council would like to hear from you.  As an administrator, I can tell you that this has been an amazingly thorough and professional process. Your elected officials and the volunteers of the Building Committee have dedicated countless hours to this and I'm proud to work in a community that is so committed to quality education.

If the community does vote to build new schools, they would open in the fall of 2015. Our current kindergarteners would enter the new schools as fourth graders.

If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call or send along an email and I will do my best answer or refer you to someone who has the answer.