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Reed Sees Fairfield Hills As A Good Site For A School

Superintendent of Schools John Reed recently walked the 19 acres in Fairfield

Hills that is being given to the Town of Newtown by the State of Connecticut.

The superintendent said he would like to see some acreage placed in reserve in

case it is needed for a school for fifth and sixth grade students.

Accompanying him were Rusty Malik, an architect who has submitted estimates on

the cost of a new school, and Herbert Rosenthal, First Selectman of Newtown.

Dr Reed said that the acreage is "eminently qualified as a site, with ten

acres left over for the fields."

He recommended to the school board that "we lobby very strongly for a [fifth

and sixth grade] building site for a school. "

The Board of Education will be setting up a task force in the next couple of

months to examine each of the options for dealing with increased enrollment at

the middle school level.

This concern with the growing student population in Newtown schools arises

from a recent report on enrollment forecasts prepared by Focus Consultant

Associates. The report predicts overcrowding at Newtown Middle School within

three years if something is not done to accommodate the extra students

expected at the middle grade levels.