Susan Tuz
Published 10:51 pm, Tuesday, April 29, 2014
First Selectman Curtis Read tabulates the referendum results in BridgewaterTuesday evening at the town's senior center, moments after the polls had closed. Waiting anxiously for the vote count are, from left to right, Tom Seger, Carolan Dwyer, Julie Stuart and Jenn Iannucci of the Save Our Schools advocacy group.April 29, 2014 Photo: Norm Cummings
Voters in Bridgewater turned out in force for Tuesday's referendum and defeated a proposed change to the regional plan by a vote of 786 to 81.
In Roxbury, the question was also resoundingly defeated, 585-306.
Washington voters, with just a 33 percent turnout, passed the question, 550-251.
The proposed change would have eliminated the requirement a K-5 elementary school must exist in each of the region's three towns and, instead, a consolidated pre-K to grade 5 elementary school would be built on the Shepaug Valley Middle/High School campus.
Voters in the three towns cumulatively voted down consolidation by a 1,622 to 937 count, or 63.4 to 36.6 percent.
"I'm disappointed," said Washington First Selectman Mark Lyon, "because our elementary school students will suffer."
"Washington contributes 46 percent of the cost to run the region," he added, "and has the most people involved in the process but we don't get to say what happens."
Lyon noted almost two years ago the three first selectmen had gotten together and said things couldn't go on as they have.
"There were supposedly some wonderful ideas out there and I can't wait to hear them," Lyon added.
The second referendum question -- to authorize bonding $40.88 million to finance the building of a consolidated elementary school and make repairs to Shepaug Middle High School -- similarly was defeated.
In Bridgewater, Question 2 was defeated, 814-58, while in Roxbury the count was 669 no to 245 yes.
Again, Washington approved the question, 532-288.
The cumulative three-town vote against bonding to build a new school and repair the middle/high school was 1,771 to 835.
"We've always realized there are issues that need to be solved," said Alan Brown, Board of Education vice chairman and Bridgewater selectman. "I've always felt the answer to declining enrollment needed to be a solution that was satisfactory to all three towns."
Brown noted he and a small handful of others have been a dissenting voice on the education board, a voice that couldn't be heard.
"Consolidation always seemed to be the answer gravitated to," Brown said. "Now the board has heard from the people of the towns. Consolidation isn't the answer they want."
Brown said he is ready to work to find the right solution for all three towns, as is Bridgewater resident Carolan Dwyer, co-founder of Save Our Schools.
"We're so pleased that tomorrow our children can go back to Burnham knowing they'll remain in a top-rated school," Dwyer said. "We're thrilled Roxbury has joined us in the fight."
"Now comes the time to move forward and reach decisions that will work for everyone," Dwyer said.
For Superintendent of Schools Pat Cosentino, consolidation had been the best choice from an educational and social perspective for the children.
"However, what the parents and community wants takes precedent," Cosentino said. "We needed this information to move forward."
"I will work diligently with the Board of Education to offer options that put students first," she added, "and address the board's goal of answering declining enrollment rising costs and dealing with our aging facilities."
Board of Education chairman Jim Hirschfield could not be reached for comment.
Board member Valerie Andersen of Washington was disappointed with the referendum results.
"It is a pyrrhic victory and, sadly, it's short-sighted," she said. "There's nothing we can do at this stage."
"I feel sorry for the children of Burnham School because they will be in combined classes," she opined, "and sorry that we will not have a state-of-the-art, secure building for the youngest children of Region 12."
Bridgewater's first selectman, Curtis Read, felt far differently Tuesday after the results were known.
--We're thrilled about Roxbury's outcome," said Read. "It's a resounding message for the school board. Now we have to deal with regional realities. I'm looking forward to new conversations to find solutions."
"Everybody has to work together with no hard feelings between towns," he said. "They've gone for consolidation twice now and both times, heard `no.' "
Roxbury's first selectman, Barbara Henry, was pleased with her town's 54 percent voter turnout.
"In the informational meetings, the comments were mixed and this solidifies what people were thinking," Henry said. "Now we have to go back and get to work. Everything is on the table. We can't go on as we have. Hopefully we can come to an agreement soon."
stuz@newstimes.com; 860-355-7322
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