Dollars Drive School Consolidation Approval

Over the past few months, Windsor residents have been hammered over the head with statistics, study results and a range of options for consolidating the district's elementary schools. While educational benefits, including the ability to provide full-day kindergarten classes and the opportunity for increased educator collaboration, anticipated financial benefits of the consolidation drove the consolidation effort to approval Wednesday night.

Parents have turned out by the dozens over the past month, attending educational forums to learn about and express their opinions of the plan to consolidate. The loss of community, extended bus rides and the number of transitions a student will experience were among the many concerns voiced by parents. Board members did not have answers to all of their questions, saying there are details that still need to be worked out, and that concerns will be taken into account.

One thing they have answered are questions about the rising education budget during a decline in enrollment — an answer they feel is owed to Windsor residents, particularly those who do not have children in school.

"Growing up, seven out of ten families had children in the school system," said Board of Education President Milo "Rusty" Peck on Wednesday. "Now, that number is a little under three out of ten... You have to account for the dollars spent."

Not every member of the board felt the financial benefits of consolidation should be the main factor for approval. Board Member David Gay said "I don't think you can put a dollar amount on the benefits to our kids," and Board Member Howard Jubrey stressed the importance of community integration.

"Windsor is the community, not Poquonock, not Wilson," Jubrey said, addressing parents worried about a loss of community or attending a school they perceive as inferior. "The sooner kids come together from different parts of town, the fewer problems we will have, and fewer problems will occur at the junior high level.

"Hopefully the bullying, the cliques will stop... We have to shrink this community. By doing so, we will improve this community. This is a public school; It isn’t 'I.' We have to look at all kids."

In the run up to the consolidation's approval, parents offered rebuttals for everything presented as a benefit of the plan, save for one: lowering education taxes for residents without children in the school system.

The financial benefits proved to be the sole reason Board of Education Minority Leader Paul Panos voted to approve the plan.

"I too will reluctantly support this plan," said Panos prior to voting Wednesday night. "I say reluctantly because I wish people wouldn't have to go through this. [Consolidation] is disruptive. It's extremely trying.

"It would be inconsistent for me not to support this because its a more efficient use of the monies and I do believe we're headed into some [financially] bad times. This will give us some flexibility to handle reductions."

Board Member Cristina Santos also mentioned the financial benefits of the plan prior to voting on Wednesday.

"We have a duty... to increase the efficiency within our system," she said. The consolidation will bring the district's utilization rate of elementary facilities up to 92-percent, she added. A consolidation study, commissioned by an elementary task force created by the board of education, found that the district currently operates at a 72-percent utilization rate.

In taking Roger Wolcott Early Childhood Center offline, the four remaining elementary facilities will be put to more efficient use, classrooms in particular. According to the consolidation study, elementary classroom sizes across the district range between 15 and 22 students. Consolidation will reduce the number of classrooms with 15 students, as well as classrooms with 22 students.

According to the study conducted, the consolidation will save the district an estimated $325,000 - $425,000 annually. Taking Roger Wolcott offline would save approximately $50,000 alone.

There are costs associated with the consolidation that will chip away at the annual savings, however. There are no state-mandated improvements that will have to made to the schools, but there will be costs associated with moving, and the need to purchase furniture for kindergarten classes that are expected to double in size.

Additional kindergarten teachers will also be needed.

The financial impact of different bus schedules has yet to be determined. Additional busses may be need to make runs in the morning and afternoon, however the number of busses has not been calculated.