Region 12 to vote April 29

Approval sought for school bonding 
BY JACK CORAGGIO REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN 

This design is the leading favorite as the Region 12 Board of Education debates building a consolidated primary school in Washington. A referendum in Washington, Roxbury and Bridgewater will be held April 29. Contributed Browse for Republican American Reprints

WASHINGTON, Conn. — Concerning the long-awaited new school referendum, the Region 12 Board of Education has decided on a Tuesday, April 29.

Voters of the three-town district will be asked to approve bonding $40.8 million to build a new consolidated primary school and update the high/middle school. Additionally, they will be asked to amend the 47-year-old regionalization plan, which dictates a grade school be in each town. 

A years-long debate has boiled over residents who want to retain their local elementary school-particularly in Roxbury and Bridgewater- and those who feel a consolidated school is more cost effective as enrollment shrinks.

The referendum would have been scheduled last week, but because the question was amended to better clarify the placement of the school, the school board for the Washington, Roxbury and Bridgewater district had a legal obligation to conduct one more hearing.

About 30 people showed Thursday, and although opinions were mixed, they were mostly against.

As he did at a meeting last week, former board member Ed Wainwright told the panel of planners and school board reps he believes the "referendum will fail" and it is time for the district to consider options such as a tuition out program.

Last year architecture firm Fletcher Thompson and project management firm Arcadis were hired to design a building that would address an increasingly problematic situation regarding the district's declining enrollment. According to the business office, the district is projected to lose almost half its student body during the next decade: 796 students this year will be 461 in 10 years.

The potential 59,000 square-foot building would hold up to 300 students. There would be three wings that stick out in clawlike fashion, and among two of those wings there would be two classrooms for each grade from prekindergarten to fifth.

The gymnasium and cafeteria would be located in the third wing and there would be a separate area for music, art and library classes.

Also, the design is liked because it would easily allow for a future addition.