At the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, October 19, Superintendent of Schools Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, prefaced the Facility and Enrollment Study discussion by saying that the evening's presentation would not lead to a financial discussion. Instead, he said, "Our collective thought is that on November 1, which is the next school board meeting, we will convene at the high school and Dr [Lorrie] Rodrigue and her administrative leadership team will give us a sense of space pertaining to additional or two additional grade levels at Newtown High."

Mr Erardi continued, "On November 1, we would also be prepared … to bring to you the financial aspect of where the board is continuing to look down the path of options that are still viable."

The Future Forecast Committee has been diligently working to accumulate data on future enrollment and how it translates to facility changes, including the possible closure of a Newtown school.

Board of Education and Future Forecast Committee member Rebekah Harriman-Stites said to those in attendance, "It really was a fantastic committee to be a part of and I hope you will agree that the information we are presenting to you is really an in-depth overview of everything that we looked at, presented to you in a way that is easy to understand."

Speaking on behalf of the entire Future Forecast Committee was NHS Principal Rodrigue, Reed Intermediate School Principal Anne Uberti, and Hawley Elementary School Principal Christopher Moretti.

The committee members presented a well-developed logistics and instructional overview slide show. They went over the projected enrollment facts, described how that translates to facility space needs, and explained how they reached their conclusion for which options are still possible.

Dr Rodrigue led the presentation by saying, "[We] studied the future enrollment and facilities of Newtown public schools objectively and through the lens of feasibility - whether a particular configuration option could work - and sustainability - how these options can be maintained over a period of time. And, of course, at the forefront, our committee really focused and kept in mind the best interest of all our students both academically and emotionally."

They focused on the projection scenarios that show a continued decline in enrollment, focusing on a high projection model that predicts a 17 percent overall decline in ten years. That model is based on the current enrollment figures that were centered on a moderate decline.

Dr Rodrigue continued, "It was also assumed, after previous studies and decisions, that there would be no elementary closing, no Reed [Intermediate School] closing, and no high school closing. The opening of Sandy Hook in July was certainly important to the district and would be sustained."

Ruling Out Options A-H

The Future Forecast Committee then took the time to explain that due to projected enrollment first increasing at the elementary school level, their previous Options A-F were eliminated and no longer viable.

Options G-I were still considered feasible, sustainable, and looked into more comprehensively. All three possibilities required the closing of the Newtown Middle School and repurposing the space at Reed Intermediate School and the Newtown High School.

Mr Moretti brought up the conversation about capacity levels for the schools and how to better understand it. By breaking down the term into two distinct forms, he explained that "maximum capacity" would entail how many people could physically take up a space, but that "optimal capacity" would be how many people could fit in a space and how it be a conducive learning environment.

"I did a little experiment with the staff at Hawley School," Mr Moretti said. "I invited them into my office and 22 people fit standing in my office, [but] you're not going to get any work done." He concluded that to be comfortable and able to work (taking notes, working on a computer, etc) only eight to 12 people can fit in his office. This small analogy reflected the bigger picture of how maximum and optimal capacity options would work in reality.

In Options G and H, by eliminating the middle school, the pros would include less transitions for students, the potential to access to some high school level courses, and stronger vertical articulation of curriculum between teachers for grades 7, 8, and 9. The cons, however, were much greater and consisted of the cost of repurposing space, possible cafetorium renovations for full lunch program, the large school "feel," and the transition to high school at an earlier age.

Focusing On Option I

After much consideration, Options G and H were ruled out due to lack of feasibility, and Option I became the main option to discuss further, as it was optimal for learning. Option I, as reported last week, would close Newtown Middle School and place kindergarten through fourth grade in Newtown's four elementary schools, fifth through seventh grade at Reed Intermediate School, and eight through twelfth grade at Newtown High School. The Future Forecast Committee predicts that even though there would be higher numbers early on at the high school, they would become more desirable nearing 2021 and 2022.

Ms Uberti presented the logistics for grades 5, 6, and 7 and how those statistics break down into clusters, classrooms, and class size. She also discussed the existing space and estimated needed space for specific classrooms at Reed for the 2018-2019 school year.

Assistant Superintendent of Public Schools Jean Evans Davila discussed the interpersonal transformations that would result with the students and faculty if the middle school is eliminated.

"Sometimes change disrupts what the status quo is, and it forces us to think creatively for other solutions in ways that we haven't before," Ms Davila said. "Fortunately, schools are learning organizations staffed by people that love to learn and grow and watch others learn and grow."

There is still more research and planning to be done, but there is the hope to have Reed feel like a "cohesive unit" instead of "a school within a school when seventh grade joins Reed," Ms Davila said.

To promote a positive learning community, the seventh grade staff can follow the students to Reed. In doing so, it will bring additional expertise to a variety of subjects, including adding world language staff.

"It could make a nice synergy between the two staffs coming together," Ms Davila said.

Another positive feature is that by having older students in the school, there will be opportunities for them to act as role models, both formally and informally, to the younger students. Options like mentoring, coaching, and tutoring can become available through the school.

Ms Davila added, "We also looked at social-emotional concerns, what this model might mean for students in terms of opportunities."

By eliminating a school, students will have one less building to move to. This is expected to help the students experience a smoother transition. It will give more time to get acclimated to the school environment and feel a stronger sense of belonging with peers.

Ms Davila noted that the current fifth grade students, who include among them the most directly impacted students of 12/14, would be "the first class in the model to experience the advantage of remaining within a community for three full years among trusted peers and adults without a rapid transition after two years."

The next level of planning that the Future Forecast Committee plans to do includes figuring out schedule changes and considerations to accommodate all students, technology integration, and repurposing rooms for classroom and instructional support.

There will be a community forum to discuss these plans in the Newtown High School's Lecture Hall, 12 Berkshire Road, at 7 pm, on Wednesday, October 26. The public meeting will give residents the ability to offer their opinions on the topic of a school closure.