The Board of Education voted unanimously at its Tuesday, September 6, meeting to support narrowing the focus of its ongoing facilities and enrollment discussion by deciding not to close an elementary school.

The decision leaves the option of closing Newtown Middle School or not closing any school on the board's scope for future discussions.

A report on district facilities and enrollment was delivered to the board in July, following a February charge for a Future Forecast Committee to research school use and projected declining enrollment.

While the report did not include specific recommendations for action, it did include reports from subcommittees of the Future Forecast Committee. The subcommittees looked at closing an elementary school, closing Newtown Middle School, options for the space if no school is closed, and a space and fiscal analysis. It also shared nine different options for reconfiguring space use if an elementary school is closed or if the middle school is closed.

Board of Education member Andrew Clure presented the motion to remove the closing of an elementary school from the ongoing discussion at this week's meeting, and member Dan Cruson, Jr, seconded the motion. The motion, Mr Clure explained, would "leave on the table" five options listed in the facilities and enrollment report that did not include closing an elementary school, including the option of "keeping the number of facilities unchanged."

Board of Education Chair Keith Alexander said he agreed with the motion, "Because, I think as a long-term strategy, closing an elementary school doesn't meet what the projections are showing us."

If a school were to be closed and then there is an "uptick" in enrollment, Mr Cruson pointed out that the elementary level is where that would be felt first.

"Whereas, if it was the middle school, we would have time to adjust," said Mr Cruson.

Saying she supported the motion, board Vice Chair Michelle Ku also disagreed with the notion that closing an elementary school is less sustainable than closing the middle school, as closing the middle school would "take a huge number of seats out of the district."

Board member Rebekah Harriman-Stites voiced her support of focusing the board's discussion on options with more sustainability.

"I personally feel that closing an elementary school does not have long-term sustainability, and I do not believe that it would be a beneficial decision for our students or our town if we close an elementary school, which only has a sustainability for the next seven to ten years at best," said Ms Harriman-Stites, who also serves on the Future Forecast Committee.

After sharing his support for not closing an elementary school, board member John Vouros also said until educational impacts are discussed by the board he does not believe "we could even begin to discuss closing the middle school." Mr Vouros also serves on the Future Forecast Committee.

Superintendent of Schools Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, shared his support for the motion, and Mr Alexander later said the decision ensures that the community knows the board's focus for future discussions.

After further discussion, Dr Erardi said the administration and the Future Forecast Committee will prepare more information for an October board meeting.

One of the points brought up for future discussion is the possibility of enrollment projections being lower than actual enrollment. Ms Ku and Dr Erardi shared the 2016-17 school year's unofficial enrollment numbers that so far compare more to the high enrollment projections shared in a 2015 Milone & MacBroom enrollment study, which offered high, medium, and low projections. The official enrollment for the 2016-17 school year will be announced after October 1.

Also at the meeting, the school board approved its 2016-21 strategic plan, which was presented by Assistant Superintendent Jean Evans Davila at the board's August 16 meeting.

The school board also heard a roughly one-hour presentation by Richard Mills of Shipman & Goodman, LLP, on the Freedom of Information Act and confidentiality issues.