What's next for Region 12?

Published 4:47 pm, Wednesday, April 30, 2014

The residents of Region 12 have sent a powerful message to town and school officials with their overwhelming rejection of both questions on Tuesday's referendum ballot.

District voters shot down a proposed change in the 1967 regional plan that would have removed the guarantee that each Region 12 town would have a K-5 school within its borders and led to Bridgewater and Roxbury being the only towns in Connecticut without an elementary school.

Voters also handily defeated a $41 million proposal to build a consolidated elementary school on the Shepaug Valley Middle High School campus and to renovate the four-decade-old middle/high school.

As anticipated, Bridgewater and Roxbury -- the two smallest towns in the district -- voted in big numbers against both proposals.

Bridgewater residents spoke with almost one voice, as there was a more than 90 percent "no" vote on both questions, while nearly two-thirds of Roxbury voters rejected the change in the regional plan and nearly three-quarters turned down the $41 million plan.

Also as anticipated, Washington -- the center of the pro-consolidation movement over the decades -- supported both questions by roughly two-thirds votes.

However, the surprisingly low voter turnout in Washington -- 33 percent to Bridgewater's 68 percent and Roxbury's 54 percent -- contributed to a district-wide 63 percent "no" vote on Question 1 and a whopping 68 percent rejection of Question 2.

Now that the referendum has been held and the smoke is starting to clear, the question is this: What's next for Region 12?

For starters, school and town officials and district residents alike need to do their best to put behind them the acrimony, emotion and rhetoric of the past couple of years leading up to the referendum.

The folks in Bridgewater and Roxbury who successfully blocked the loss of their schools and tens of millions of dollars in bonding need to be humble in victory, and consolidation proponents in all three towns need to be gracious in defeat.

School and town officials will be going back to the drawing board, and they need to start with a clean slate and a sincere desire to truly listen to each other, to honestly try to understand each other's positions, and to work together in seeking a new game plan.

One good starting point is the universal agreement throughout Region 12 that something has to be done to deal with severely declining enrollment and rising per-pupil expenditures.

Another starting point is certainly that consolidation is now off the table.

The Board of Education took a calculated risk in going forth with a consolidation plan when it knew Bridgewater -- and very likely Roxbury -- would reject such a proposal.

What made the risk even greater was, as the result of a 2009 state Supreme Court ruling, it took only one town to block any changes in the regional plan and, therefore, any consolidation proposal.

That risk did not pay off, and school officials are hopefully that much wiser.

It is clear no consolidation plan will pass in Region 12, and it is equally clear all three towns need to be on the same page -- or at least in the same ballpark -- regarding the future of the district.

In the short term, officials might bring back the $8.3 million middle/high school renovations portion of the $41 million plan.

There might also be a push to merge the elementary schools in Roxbury and Bridgewater, achieving some cost savings by making Roxbury's Booth Free School a pre-K-to-grade-2 school for both towns and Bridgewater's Burnham School the towns' grade 3-5 facility.

But there are other serious philosophical and pragmatic issues that need to be explored with regard to educational quality, attracting more students to Region 12, fiscal matters and the viability of the district.

We hope people of good will from throughout Region 12 will work harmoniously to achieve an enlightened game plan that will reunite the district and be good for the students and residents of all three towns.

Feels 'there are resolutions' in Region 12

Published 12:49 am, Wednesday, May 7, 2014

To the Editor:

The education of Region 12's kindergarten through fifth-grade youngsters is exceptional.

Yet, we have members of our school board who have suggested it's best to put these small young people on a long, wasted bus ride and place them in a new $40 million building.

They believe then and only then would they receive a good education.

The state ranking for schools proves them wrong. It's too bad the state doesn't have a ranking for school boards.

On January 4, 1962, John F. Kennedy stated, "A child miseducated is a child lost."

I want to thank the four school board members who tried to point the region in a better direction. I am grateful to the people who had the good common sense and voted "no" to stop the unnecessary and expensive new facility, and to safeguard the voting rights of the small towns and to make sure our children are not lost.

If our Region 12 Board of Education would put to vote the repairs to our present facilities that are truly necessary, I believe residents would support it.

If they would listen to their small partner towns instead of wasting years and much money and agony, we would be further ahead in finding a resolution.

If our superintendent would concentrate her efforts on being a manager of our present system for which we hired her and quit being a salesperson for a new building, we would all be better off.

Destiny is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is a thing to be achieved.

There are resolutions.

William T. Stuart

Bridgewater

Welcome regional partnership to solve problems

Published 12:47 am, Wednesday, May 14, 2014

More than two years ago, Region 12 embarked on a process to get an answer.

On April 29, the region received a resounding and definitive answer to the question of consolidation.

The majority of the towns in the region want to keep their hometown schools and reject spending the money for a consolidated one.

This historic vote resulted in more than 90 percent of the voters in Bridgewater voting for Burnham School to remain open and, by a 2-1 margin, Roxbury voters concurred for Booth Free School.

SOS would like to thank all supporters -- young families, retirees, new residents and old, weekenders and full-timers -- all who have worked tirelessly to preserve our award-winning schools and help guarantee the future vitality of our towns.

The three first selectmen have said for the past two years we cannot continue "as is."

Doing nothing was not an option and shouldn't be now. We must honor this vote and quickly and impartially move to investigate creative solutions that utilize current buildings.

There are many possibilities. However, this is only one piece of the work to be done.

We must also work to bring families into these communities and retain the ones already here. We need a plan of action with built-in accountability to increase enrollment within the region as soon as possible.

This plan must work in concert with the towns' current plans.

Will the eight-person Board of Education voting bloc now listen to the 1,600-person voter majority?

It remains to be seen if they can lead. If not, the region's collapse is insured.

We look for the town leaders to step in and provide the necessary leadership if necessary.

Will the superintendent, who has an opportunity now to be inclusive, as opposed to encouraging divisiveness, include the voices of others and listen and lead toward a new direction?

Or will she try to implement ideas that will further alienate the majority of voters and only damage chances of bringing new students into these communities?

Unfortunately, the latest idea of merging kindergarten and first grade at Burnham School is impulsive, political and not the best available option.

A more educationally sound and population-sensitive option would be a pre-kindergarten/kindergarten merge.

There is currently a waiting list of seven children for the Reach pre-K program. In a time of declining enrollment, no child should be on a waiting list in our region when our main goal is to increase the number of children in the school system over the long term.

The region should pilot a pre-K/K merge at Burnham this year, adding the seven children on the waiting list to the current kindergarten class. This could also enable Bridgewater to launch a before- and after-school care program as a pilot extended-day enrichment program for the region.

We also believe the region should reevaluate offering the program to Booth and WPS families so they may also benefit.

This solution would not require a referendum.

The town of Bridgewater has begun many new initiatives to attract and appeal to young families. It will take some time.

We would welcome working with others from Roxbury and Washington on similar ventures.

Let's get to work.

Carolan Dwyer

Julie Stuart

Co-chairwomen

Save Our Schools

Bridgewater

Offers Option

May 10, 2014

For Region 12 To the Editor:

I was not surprised by the fact that residents from Bridgewater and Roxbury soundly defeated the plan for consolidation or that residents of Washington supported the initiative by a vote of 2 to 1.


If that is the case, one clear option may be to eliminate Washington Primary School and consolidate those students into Burnham and Booth Free School.


It appears that Washington residents are okay with extended bus rides and larger class sizes so this transition should be smooth and some cost savings may be achieved by reducing from three to two elementary schools that could serve the Region.

Richard Deanne 
Marble Dale

Burnham School earns spotlight as 'Cool School'

Published 5:25 pm, Wednesday, May 7, 2014

• 
  Burnham School in Bridgewater has been selected as one of the state's "cool schools" by WFSB Channel 3's Mark Dixon. May 2014 Courtesy of WFSB Photo: Contributed Photo

Click here for Video: >   http://www.wfsb.com/category/211215/cool-schools

If there were ever any doubt, WFSB Channel 3 will confirm Friday, May 9 that Burnham School in Bridgewater is, in fact, a "Cool School."

The television station's Mark Dixon visited Burnham April 30 and filmed a Cool School segment for WFSB's morning news.

That two-hour segment will be aired Friday morning from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.

"They filmed four segments focusing on Bridgewater's community involvement with the school," said Burnham Principal Cathy Colella.

Filmed was the Welcome, a school day meeting that focuses on the school's Buddy Bench, kindergarten to 2nd grade students being read to in the library and the junior garden club members planting with Bridgewater Garden Club members.

"The Buddy Bench is a bench we have by the playground that children sit on if they have no one to play with," Colella explained. "If you see someone sitting on the Buddy Bench, you go over and invite them to join in a game or activity."

Also featured was Jen Iannucci talking about recycling with the students and Burnham's part in Bridgewater's organics composting program via the Housatonic Resource Recovery Authority.

-- Susan Tuz

What's next for embattled Region 12?

Susan Tuz

Updated 5:30 pm, Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Voters in Region 12 could well be asked one more time to fund $8.3 million for repairs and renovations to Shepaug Middle/High School.ut addressing just how to educate elementary school children in the region will be considered by a committee of Board of Education members before a proposal would go to voters.

In an April 29 referendum, region voters rejected changes to the regional plan that would have closed the three elementary schools in Bridgwater, Roxbury and Washington and built a consolidated elementary school on the Shepaug campus.

On the same ballot, voters also defeated a proposed $40 million-plus bonding package that would have funded an upgrade 0f Shepaug Valley Middle/High School and the construction of a consolidated elementary school.

The Board of Education decided Monday to sever the original $40 million bonding question, instead taking the consolidated school off the table and returning a request for funding $8.3 million for Shepaug upgrades.

Bob Giesen, the district's director of finance, will contact bond counsel on the question.

A public hearing would then be scheduled, followed by a referendum vote before the end of the present school year.

Monday's meeting was heated as board members often disagreed how to proceed in the wake of the referendum outcome.

Bridgewater board member Alan Brown argued grades could be reconfigured in Burnham andBooth Free schools in Bridgewater and Roxbury without the need for a referendum vote.

"I've talked to Richard Hoffman, who was principal of those schools in the 1970s and 1980s," Brown said. "In 1975, fourth grades were combined and, in the 1982-83 school year, second grades were combined and moved forward until that class graduated from Burnham."

"There was no vote taken to do that," he added.

However, the specter of Region 14's recent court battle about a change to its regional plan being opposed by some residents caused Region 12 board members to balk at Brown's suggestion.

"All we have to do is look to Region 14..." said board member Valerie Andersen of Washington.

"I appreciate the history lesson," said board member Jennifer Pote of Washington. "But the parents of 41 Booth Free students don't want that reconfiguration."

Superintendent of Schools Pat Cosentino recently received a letter from 25 Booth Free School parents asking the board not to use Booth Free for the grades 3-5 and Burnham for grades K-2.

"We do not support this plan," the Booth Free parents letter read. "We supported consolidation because we wanted our children to be in a larger, more vibrant school environment. This school merge plan does not provide this opportunity for our children."

Board members were not the only ones whose tempers flared Monday.

Audience members at the meeting expressed anger about how the issue of consolidation had been handled, how the elementary schools have not been properly maintained and how the Bridgewater group Save Our Schools fought to keep Burnham school open.

"A total of $459,000 may have been approved to elementary school repairs but that money clearly has not been spent on the schools," said Bridgewater First Selectman Curtis Read. "Perhaps that has purposely been done to assure their closing."

"I've never voted against an education budget before," said Elliot Woolwich of Bridgewater. "It hurt to vote no. But having money spent on architect's drawings before the question of consolidation was ever put before the voters put people off. It made it seem like consolidation was a fait accompli."

Paula Conway, one of the 25 Roxbury parents who signed the letter to Cosentino, said "Save Our Schools in Bridgewater, you're win came at a very high price."

"You have lost the trust and respect of many Booth Free families sitting here tonight," she added."

stuz@newstimes.com; 860-355-7322

Region 12 consolidation proposal trounced

Published: Monday, May 05, 2014

By GAYLA CAWLEY
Special to the Litchfield County Times

WASHINGTON—Region 12’s referendum proposing a consolidated elementary school on the Shepaug campus with students from Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington was defeated two towns to one Tuesday night.


Just one town needed to vote down the referendum for it to be defeated. Bridgewater and Roxbury defeated the referendum handily with Washington sticking to its guns and voting “yes.”


As expected, the vote passed in Washington and was defeated in Bridgewater. Roxbury was the wild card town, with First Selectman Barbara Henry saying earlier in the afternoon that she didn’t know how her town was going to vote in the referendum.


When driving through Bridgewater, viewers were bombarded with signs in capital letters: “S.O.S.” or “Save Our School” along with reminders that their elementary school—Burnham School—was once again ranked No. 1 in the state.
It was clear that the town opposed consolidation of its elementary school in a new elementary school on the Shepaug campus in Washington. The referendum was defeated by a 10 to 1 ratio in Bridgewater.


Two questions were on the ballot—the first question proposing a change to existing language that requires each town to have its own elementary school and replace it with language that allows a consolidated school on the Shepaug campus. The second question asked if more than $40.8 million should be appropriated for the consolidated elementary school and renovations to the existing middle/high school. 

Of that $40.8 million, $32.6 million would have been put toward the construction of the elementary school and $8.3 million would be used for renovations to the existing school.


In Bridgewater, on the first question, 81 people voted “yes” and 787 people voted “no.” On the second question, 58 people voted “yes” and 818 voted “no.” Of the three towns, voter turnout was highest in Bridgewater at 69 percent; 879 out of the town’s 1,266 registered voters showed up at the polls.


Despite strong opposition, residents exiting the polls in Bridgewater at around 4 p.m. were reluctant to talk to the media. One resident agreed to give a statement, using just her first name. Jean said she was voting “no.”


“I think we have a wonderful elementary school and I can’t see why our kids should have to drive an hour [to go to school],” she said.


Jean added that Burnham School is consistently ranked No. 1 in education and that the elementary school and library work hand-in-hand together.
In a phone conversation away from the polls, S.O.S. co-chair Carolyn Dwyer said she voted “no” on both questions—regarding consolidation and the question regarding construction upgrades at the high school.


“The reason being is we feel having a school in Bridgewater is vital to our community. They’re doing a wonderful job educationally.”


Ms. Dwyer said she would rather see a merger of the two kindergarten classes from Bridgewater and Roxbury as those enrollments are lowest, instead of a complete elementary consolidation in the three towns.


“The kids here are getting an excellent education where they are now,” Ms. Dwyer said. “It needs to be the end of the consolidation plan. People are upset, angry and nervous.”


Driving through Washington, a person was met with a stark contrast in attitude to that in Bridgewater. Signs urging residents to “vote ‘yes’ for our children’s future” were plastered along the road leading up to the polling place at the town hall. 

Residents did just that, making the town the lone supporter of the referendum.
For question 1 in Washington, there were 550 “yes” votes and 251 “no” votes. For question 2, 532 people voted “yes” and 288 people voted “no.” The town had the lowest voter turnout at 34 percent, with 810 of its 2,396 registered voters punching the ballot.


Outside the town hall around 5 p.m., some Washington residents were not as pleased with the consolidation proposal as the final tallies suggested.


“It’s a big pile of bullshit,” Washington resident Donald Williams Jr. said. “It’s crazy. I would like to have someone tell me what they’re going to do with the other schools.”


Another resident, Matilda Giampietro, was disappointed in how the process played out, saying that the referendum had become a divisive issue among the three towns, when leaders from each town should be working together to find the best solution.


“I am upset that it’s been handled like this,” Ms. Giampietro said. “It feels pretty obvious that Bridgewater will vote it down. It won’t go anywhere so it’s an exercise in futility.”


Throughout the process, it was unclear as to which way Roxbury was leaning on the consolidation issue. However, when results came in Tuesday night, the numbers weren’t close. For question 1, there were 306 “yes” votes and 585 “no” votes. On the second question, 245 people voted “yes” and 669 voted “no,” a 3-to-1 ratio. Voter turnout was high in Roxbury at 54.4 percent, with 903 of its 1,661 registered voters making their voices heard.


One resident, who didn’t want to give his last name, said the increased taxes that would result from a consolidated elementary school made him “uncomfortable.”


“I felt the need to vote because the plan for the school benefits the minority [people who have kids in the schools] rather than the majority,” Michael said.
Region 12 Superintendent Pat Cosentino said by telephone after the votes were tallied that she respected the community’s decision.


“I sincerely believe it [consolidation] was the best option educationally and socially,” Ms. Cosentino said. “However, we live in a democracy and what the parents and community wants takes precedence. I will take this into account and discuss with the board [how] to address the [continuing] issue of declining enrollment.”


Ms. Cosentino said that on Monday night there will be a combined regular budget and Board of Education meeting, where discussion will include what the next step after the failed vote will be. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the Shepaug Library in Washington.


“I think it’s important that we voted,” Ms. Cosentino said. “I’m proud of the work that we did to get the vote out and I respect the decision of the community.
”