What Went Wrong?

To the Editor:

1999-2000: “Newtown High School designated a Blue Ribbon School by the US Office of Education.” The Blue Ribbon banner and plaque are proudly displayed at NHS.

2005-2006: “NHS Warned” It may lose its accreditation because of serious overcrowding and other deficiencies. In just five years, NHS went from excellent to unacceptable. How did this happen? Who is responsible? Consider these events.

Highlights: Enrollment projections in 1998 were ominous. A three-man committee made recommendations to the former superintendent of schools to address classroom space (December 2, 1999). They recommended using Plymouth Hall at Fairfield Hills as an elementary school or to relieve overcrowding at NHS. No action taken. At that time, the Selectmen were opposed to the purchase of Fairfield Hills. The Board of Education proposed the 5/6 school but chose to locate it on open space land and ignored the high school problem. Eventually, the selectmen agreed to buy Fairfield Hills.

2001: Town approves the bond issues for Fairfield Hills, the 5/6 school and renovations of high school playing fields. The out-going superintendent recommended a 400–500 pupil “academy” to relieve high school crowding. Selectmen offered only Kent House at Fairfield Hills; Board of Education rejected. Instead, it requested $400,000 (2002) to convert NHS shop area into regular classrooms to increase capacity to 1,600. The convoluted process for obtaining special funds from the Board of Finance consumed three years. Renovations were made, but enrollment exceeded 1,600 (February 3, 2005). A new committee, composed largely of persons without children in school, was appointed to find classroom space. Eventually, it requested the Fairfield Hills West Meadow for school construction. The selectmen refused the request.

The Board of Education spent enormous effort and time to convince elected officials that chlorine, radon, and uranium made drinking water at Middle Gate unsafe. Six years passed before money was obtained and a safe water hook-up completed in February 2006. After one and one-half years (2005), the high school space committee recommended another addition for NHS. A battered Board of Education agreed. Shortage of land on the 48-acre site makes it necessary to consume one of the newly prepared playing fields and the tennis courts. The Board of Finance announced it will limit addition expenditures to about $47 million. An architect presented plans for the addition. Parking will be limited and future additions will be impossible if enrollment exceeds projections accurate to about 2014.

2005: WECAN, a group of parents with young children, was organized to propose that long range planning requires a new high school be constructed rather than another addition. Others have suggested that the present middle school would move to the vacated high school, and the middle school would become town offices or kept for a future elementary school. The education, selectmen and finance boards oppose a new high school. Instead, the selectmen and the Fairfield Hills Authority plan to market the most valuable core campus for economic development and remove Fairfield Hills as a serious future school site.

What a mess!

Ruby K. Johnson

16 Chestnut Hill, Sandy Hook                        September 13, 2006