School Bd Eagerly Awaits 5/6 School Vote

By TANJUA DAMON-MERROW

Published: May 30, 2001 12:00 am

By Tanjua Damon

The Board of Education has traveled a long road to bring the proposed school for grades 5 and 6 to a town vote, but board members are hopeful this week that townspeople will put an end to all the planning and give the go-ahead for construction. The decision is due on June 6 at the town meeting set for 7:30 pm at Newtown High School auditorium.

School officials found out in early May that the proposed school would cost an approximate $28.6 million for the project, significantly less than the $33 million that was estimated before the bids were opened. The maximum reimbursement rate from the state that the town is eligible for is 33.93 percent or an estimated $9.7 million, making the net cost of the project to the town a little more than $19 million.

The school is planned for 20 acres of town-owned property at Watertown Hall on the corner of Wasserman Way and Trades Lane.

The proposed school is expected to alleviate crowding experienced in both the elementary schools and middle school in the district. The 5/6 school is designed to hold a student population of 1,100 students.

âI think over the last three years there has been a growing awareness in Newtown that the 5/6 school is the cornerstone to relieving space needs in grades K-8,â Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed said. âItâs essential that the school be constructed in order to maintain adequate room and facilities for our students.â

In February 2000 the town approved $1.6 million to design the school. Jeter, Cook & Jepson was the firm selected to design the approximately 167,000 square foot building.

In January 1998, the Newtown School Board appointed a committee to study enrollment and future space needs throughout the district. The committee recommended a 5/6 school. Another task force was set up in December 1998 to develop the educational program and specifics for the proposed school.Â

After a trip to Michigan, which has over 20 5/6 schools, the school board decided that a 5/6 school would be the best way to tackle the space needs the district would be facing in the future.

The proposed building on Wasserman Way will include 44 classrooms arranged in two-room clusters. Each cluster will have a shared small group instruction room along with a moveable partition. The triangular style design divides the school into two areas.

The school will also include a library/media center, special education classroom and resource room, three art rooms, three music rooms, full-sized gymnasium, a cafetorium with a stage, administrative offices, maintenance, mechanical, and storage rooms. An elevator will also be available at the school.

The project is designed to have separate unloading areas for school buses and automobiles. There will be parking for visitors and staff. The school will also have softball/baseball fields, a multi-purpose field, and an outdoor hard-surfaced play area.

The $28.6 million cost for the proposed school includes site and building construction as well as demolition â $22.4 million; furniture, fixtures, equipment, and technology â $1.9 million; fees and expenses â $2.8 million; contingency â $1.5 million; and $1.6 million in funding that was already approved.

If a referendum is petitioned following the June 6 town meeting, a possible date would be Thursday, June 21, at the Newtown Middle School.

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The editorial took no position on the budget going up or down so you're reading things into the editorial that simply aren't there. The turnout is tied to the lack of passage, in that people who came out to vote last time did not this time, indicating a lack of support on their part. Perhaps it wasn't spelled out clearly enough, but that's what the editorial was driving at, people showing lack of support by not casting a vote. The editorial did address likely concerns among voters that may have led to lack of support and lack of turnout. This lower turnout also follows increasing turnout over the past four referendums in three years (meaning it is an aberration from that), and increased turnout is something that I do push for regularly in editorials. Any disappointment you might be seeing is at the break in that trend, not at whether the budget passed or not. I'd rather see more people come out and vote "no" then not vote at all.

Lower Turnout Results In Two Budget Defeats

Clearly, property owners no longer want to bear the burden of expenses while the state does not meet it’s responsibilities. Rising costs must be addressed by actions that do not include yearly increases of property owners’ taxes. The state of CT must meet its share of the educational costs, and other costs.

Town And School Budgets Fail At Referendum

This feels like an oddly misleading headline and narrative, particularly coming from the Editorial Board. The headline "Lower Turnout Results in Two Budget Defeats" pushes a misleading narrative regarding voter turnout, and then seeks to tie the outcome of the referendum to that misleading narrative. Sure, voter turn out for this year's referendum, 18%, was lower than last year's. However, last year's turnout, 25.4%, represented the highest turnout in the most recent 10 budget referendums. If you take the time to examine turnout percentages between 2017 and 2026 (2017: 19.9, 2018: 15.7, 2019: 17, 2020: 0, 2021: 8.98, 2022: 7.7, 2023: 8.8, 2024: 15.1/17.49, 2025: 25.4, 2026: 18), this year's turnout was actually the third highest in the past 10 cycles. Perhaps the headline of this article should say "Lower Voter Turnout Than Last Year", which is more accurate, rather than creating an impression that this year's turnout is some type of aberration - a narrative that the turnout numbers, in all their binary glory, simply do not support. Further, the headline of this article appears to tie the "lower turnout" to the defeated budgets. Sure, that could be true. But, perhaps, its more likely that Newtown residents are feeling the squeeze of multiple economic influences. In Newtown, we've experienced property revaluations and increased municipal spending. Eversource continues to raise rates. The state legislature gives PURA the authority to impose Public Benefit charges that benefit a tiny percentage of the public (and subsequently burdening the rest of us). At the national level, inflation has run rampant for years and many of those costs remain high to this day. In short, the data tells a far less dramatic—and far more honest—story than the headline suggests. This wasn’t an electorate vanishing in apathy; it was a fairly typical turnout delivering an verdict that, perhaps, some at the Editorial Board didn't like. At some point, it’s worth considering that residents aren’t confused, disengaged, or misled by turnout; they’re simply doing math at their kitchen tables and concluding that “no” is the only responsible answer left.

Enjoyed the forum which only confirmed my support for Brandon Moore as the Democratic candidate to run for the state representative position. Brandon Moore did not waiver about his duty to all the people, if elected, when an issue presents itself that requires that he voice a difference of opinion for the wellbeing of Newtown residents. If Michelle Ku’s 16 years have led to her loyalty being to other elected officials, as she implied, then Newtown is going to continue to witness actions that do not protect its residents. She could not unseat republican, Mitch Bolinsky, during a Blue Wave, and once again, will not do it now. Winning that seat is critical for all. That explains why her previous campaign committee now campaigns for Brandon Moore. It explains all the endorsements he has received from local elected democratic officials. It’s why we need Brandon Moore to be the democratic candidate to run for state representative.

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Appreciated the opportunity to hear from both candidates as we were present for the College Dems forum but only heard from Brandon Moore. It was an opportunity to see who can unseat the Republican incumbent and there is no doubt that Brandon Moore should be the Democratic candidate. One concerned parent posed a question about discrimination unaddressed by the school district and interestingly enough, Michelle Ku, who proudly speaks of her Board membership years, said little, while Brandon Moore passionately addressed the issue along with his experience as an Apache Helicopter Commander. This family is supporting Brandon Moore. We need change and someone who is not afraid to disagree, especially about the rising costs of living in Newtown.

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School Bd Eagerly Awaits 5/6 School Vote

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