LETTER: Why I Cannot Support the Elementary School Facilities Plan

Board of Education Meeting of February 19, 2026. PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTO

The elementary facilities plan is an ambitious proposal to rebuild schools that could cost local taxpayers more than $100 million dollars. When accounting for possible cost overruns and inflation, the impact on local taxes may be even greater. This proposal is complicated and contains numerous uncertainties.

Having been elected just three and a half months ago, I have worked very hard to get caught up to speed on decisions and discussions that took place over the past two years, before I recently rejoined the Board of Education. This is why I have several concerns that prevented me from voting yes this evening.

First, I strongly support the concept of small neighborhood schools. Closing Flanders elementary school while expanding Kelley elementary school and creating an even larger South End elementary school moves us away from that model.

Second, abandoning a well-constructed brick school in the center of town presents a significant concern. As a Board of Education member, I have never received complaints about Derynoski elementary school. Building a new school behind the existing site raises additional questions and concerns. As a lifelong resident of Southington, I have heard that the property may have a high water table that could make construction challenging. I do not know if that is accurate, but it is an uncertainty that deserves clarity.

Let me be clear: I support rebuilding Flanders and Kelley elementary schools. However, I do not support constructing larger elementary schools that fail to preserve the advantages of smaller neighborhood schools. Southington already has a large high school and two very large middle schools.

Modern and well-maintained schools are essential for a thriving community. I would support a plan to rebuild Flanders now if one were presented. Unfortunately, the option before us does not allow for that. I support upgrading Kelley, but not in a way that closes Flanders, increases busing times, eliminates walkability, and leaves major unanswered questions about the future of the Derynoski and Flanders properties.

What happens to the existing Derynoski building? Will the Main Street school be demolished or sold for private development? What becomes of the 17 acres of Flanders property? These questions remain unanswered. Prior to proceeding, it is important to ensure meaningful community outreach and dialogue, enabling the Board of Education to clearly and effectively communicate its vision regarding these properties to both municipal leaders and residents.

For these reasons, I cannot support the plan as presented tonight.

I understand that voting against the majority on an issue like this can be politically difficult. My responsibility, however, is to vote on what I believe is best for the children of the Southington Public School system. I hope my colleagues will respect that position and avoid unnecessary political attacks and division.

I want to thank the many residents who have reached out to share their perspectives. Their input reflects a deep commitment to our schools, our children, and the dedicated staff who serve them every day.

Sincerely,

Dawn Derynoski-Anastasio

Note: The author is a current member of the Southington Board of Education. Any opinions expressed in the Letter are not necessarily those of the Southington Outsider.

BOE Approves School Rebuild by 8-1 Vote

Sign at the entrance to Flanders PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTOS

The Board of Education last Thursday gave its approval to the second part of a plan that would affect four of Southington’s elementary schools. After voting in May for a rebuild of Kelley Elementary School and an addition to South End, Board members voted 8-1 to rebuild Derynoski and close Flanders by decade’s end.

Before the Board discussed the proposal, eight residents came up to the podium one at a time to make their voices heard. Five spoke in opposition to the plan that would have Derynoski, Southington’s oldest elementary school, being rebuilt from scratch and leave Flanders empty, with its students redistricted to schools nearby.

One common theme struck by opponents was that shuttering a school would break the connections that form between teachers, staff, students, and their families. Kimberly Troccolo, citing her own experience with such disruption, said that after such changes, “students are not known throughout the school community by name. They are not known for being the sibling of a previous student. Staff outside of their classroom teachers don’t know their parents or anything about the students’ extracurricular activities.”

Others questioned the reliability of the enrollment forecasts used to justify the move, pointing to the failures of past predictions. Traci Ianni observed that “a few short years ago, the Board of Education used projections as a costcutting rationale for eliminating a sixth-grade academic team at both Kennedy and DePaolo Middle Schools. This year, just two school years later, both teams have been reinstated. The projections were that far off in such a short time period. Could they be off in this scenario too?”

Shama Greene felt that the plan was lacking in specifics and that the origins of the figures presented by the consultants were unclear. She was also concerned by the lack of architectural drawings. “In 2011, when this district successfully passed the Kennedy and DePaolo referendum, architects were hired to create renderings and develop cost estimates based on actual designs. A feasibility study was complete before the proposal moved forward… The research was done up front. Why is that not happening here?”

Two parents of children currently at Kelley school, Angela Lauretano and Megan Mele, spoke in support of the plan, even though, as they noted, their own children would not benefit personally from the new facility. Both stressed that the plan was a best effort and that postponing action would only make matters worse. Lauretano also addressed the issue of connection, saying that in the buildings, “you are still going to get that personal feel, you are still going to get those connections.”  

At the midpoint of the meeting, two of the projects consultants, Patrick Gallagher from MP Planning Group and Charles Warrington from Colliers, gave Powerpoint presentations on the plan. These presentations were very similar to those those delivered at the special meeting on April 1 of last year, when Scenario D, as it is called, was first described to the public.

Gallagher runs slide presentation as local residents look on.

One noteworthy change involves the cost of the project. According to Warrington’s updated figures, since last April the estimated total cost to the district for all phases of the project has risen from $97.2 million to $104.3 million – a 7.3% increase for the same basic work in less than one year. At the same time, Warrington also raised the possibility that, thanks to new legislation, the town might receive an additional 15% cost reimbursement from the state if the new facilities offered early childhood care.

When it came time for members of the Board to share their views on the matter, all stressed that the decision was not an easy one and expressed sympathy for the plan’s opponents. Cecil Whitehead gestured to the room in which the meeting was being held and noted that the building, the current Weichsel Center, used to house North Center School, where he himself had once been an elementary school student. The point, he said, was that Flanders could continue to be a source of municipal pride and utility even if it ceased to function as a school.

Lisa Cammuso observed that nothing was truly set in stone yet, since another referendum would have to be held in a few years to approve funding for the Derynoski rebuild and that, at that point, a future Board might well decide that circumstances warranted a change in plans.

Once members finished speaking, the motion to approve the plan passed, with 8 members voting yes and Dawn Derynoski-Anastasio voting no.

Student Recognized for Award-Winning Portrait

 Board Chair Zaya Oshana presents Moos with a Certificate of Excellence.

Each Board of Education meeting begins with a ‘Celebration of Excellence’ designed to recognize the special achievements of groups and individuals and give the community a sense of what is happening in the schools. Last Thursday, Southington High School art teacher Sara Levinthal came to the podium to announce that her student Brianna Moos had won a silver key award at the Connecticut Region Scholastic Arts Awards for a self-portrait in graphite entitled ‘The Little Things in Life.’

Levinthal praised Moos’ “remarkable attention to detail and unwavering commitment to precision,” combined with a “deep respect for the creative process,” and openness to constructive criticism. She also lauded her calmness, generosity, and positive energy, and the way these qualities served to make the classroom a better place.

"The Little Things in Life," Brianna Moos SOUTHINGTON SCHOOLS PHOTO

New Graduation Robe Design Unveiled

During the reports from the student representatives, senior Ethan Hoffman announced that graduating Blue Knights will be wearing robes with a new, unified design. The class officers, in collaboration with the school administration, took a look at their options for replacing the old robes, which were available in either solid blue and white. Along the way they found a vendor that, he said, offered a robe that is both cheaper and of better quality. The new robe will be blue with an S on the top right and white rings around both sleeves.

Board of Finance Approves School Requests, Tables Action on Fire Department

The Board of Finance studying the proposed high school tennis court and parking lot addition. SCREENSHOT FROM TOWN OF SOUTHINGTON YOUTUBE

In Southington, as in other municipalities across the state, costs for public education make up the lion’s share of the town’s yearly budget. Consideration of how to balance school funding and town revenue began in earnest at the Board of Finance’s February 18 meeting, which featured a presentation from Superintendent of Schools Steven Madancy. Another major focus of discussion was the Fire Department.

 

School System Budget

Board of Education Chair Zaya Oshana introduced the Superintendent’s budget request, which gained his group’s approval earlier this month. He described a bipartisan process that took a slightly different approach this fiscal year. A preview period gave Board members the opportunity to study Madancy’s request in advance of its first workshop. Board members were also able to discuss line items directly with heads of department to get more information about the requests.

Oshana highlighted one move the Board took to reduce the ask: moving four special education teachers from the budget into the grant-funded portion and reducing the request by $224,000.

Madancy then addressed the Finance Board. He explained that district costs, such as the numbers of English-language learners and students with special needs, have increased, while funding from state grants and federal sources has remained flat. He emphasized that funding has been flat for the past 15 years, under the leadership of both parties, but said he was “optimistic” that this legislative session may see Hartford step up its contributions to Connecticut schools.

According to his presentation, the main drivers of the budget (96.7%) are salaries, benefits and purchased services (such as transportation, energy and rubbish removal), the costs of which are built-in, and in many cases rising.

“I don’t think we have a spending problem, I think we have a funding problem,” Madancy said. He also pointed out the timing difficulty that accompanies the fiscal year.

“We don’t know what the excess-cost reimbursement rate is going to be prior to the adoption of this budget,” he said. “We don’t know what the Governor’s budget is going to be. There may be unfunded mandates in it.”

Despite the challenges, Madancy highlighted that key performance metrics have improved in Southington schools even though its per-pupil spending is lower than in similar school districts.

“You’re getting a good return on investment,” he asserted.

SHS Tennis Court and Parking Lot Referendum

SCREENSHOT FROM FIELD TURF PRESENTATION

Madancy also presented a plan to address the difficult parking situation near the high school by constructing a lot with 143 new parking spaces. The Superintendent said that improving safety and access were key concerns, and that Police Chief Jack Daly has been fielding complaints about the parking situation for 23 years.

New tennis courts are also part of the plan. The current courts were originally installed in 2007, but due to sub-surface shifts now have cracks wide enough to fit a tennis ball, per Madancy. The courts have had to be repaired several times over the years, with each fix costing over $10,000. The courts are not regulation-size, lack lighting and ADA accessibility, and pose a challenge for spectators. The rebuilt courts will offer long-term fixes for these issues.

Madancy noted that some money had been set aside for the project in last year’s capital plan, and that Town Manager Alex Ricciardone had included additional funds in his proposal for this fiscal year that were designed to cover some of the plan’s total cost of $4,210,000.

Board of Finance Chair John Leary asked Madancy about the wisdom of spending public money on these proposals, given that Southington voters in 2022 rejected a referendum item that would have spent $16.9 million on similar projects. Madancy answered that the ballot question was posed to voters at the same time as a roof replacement, and contained some “nice-to-haves” at a time, post-COVID, of financial duress.

Leary ultimately recommended taking $2,623,500 from the town’s reserve funds to spend on the project. He explained that those funds, which the town is required to keep on hand, can only be used for capital projects and not for operating expenses, such as hiring teachers or firefighters. The Board unanimously approved the recommendation.

“We can afford this, we can afford it with cash, and we’ll still have cash left over for capital,” Leary said. “We want it to be a win for the community, the right thing for everybody,” he added.

The Town Council will now have the final say on approving the plan.

 

Fire Department Staffing and the Chief’s Contract

Leary also led a discussion of ways to add firefighters to the Southington Fire Department, in response to ongoing concerns about understaffing.

“I’m watching my volunteer force dwindle,” Chief Scott Lee said at the meeting. “We had a fire this morning and I was only able to get two volunteers. I’m relying on mutual aid, and that comes at a cost to those municipalities too.” Firefighters from Bristol, Meriden, and New Britain all responded to the scene of that fire, while Cheshire and Plainville provided coverage, according to a Fire Department release.

Leary’s motion to add three more firefighters was frustrated by restrictions in the contract language, negotiated years ago, that mandate backfilling in certain stations. The Board decided to study the issue more closely and reconsider its options for funding these roles at a future meeting.

Towards the end of the session, Board member Stephen Salerno raised a separate but related issue, arguing that Lee’s new contract, recently approved by the Board of Fire Commissioners, was “not normal and not good for the town.” While stressing that his concerns have nothing to do with the Chief personally, Salerno expressed concern that the contract provides the Chief with “all other allowances” that other Town employees receive, including employees in other departments.

One example Salerno cited was a $1,800 per year allowance for uniforms, one that police officers get for equipment such as bullet-proof vests that have to be replaced regularly. Another was $7,500 for an Apple Harvest Festival stipend that the HR Director receives. The third was $500 for a car allowance, though Lee already has use of a vehicle, and, finally, a social club membership.

Referring to the vote by the Board of Fire Commissioners to approve the contract, he said, “it’s either malfeasance, incompetence, arrogance, or indifference, or maybe you make a big snowball and it’s all in one.” He called for the town’s labor attorney to review the contract.

The Board of Finance will continue its budget workshops next week, with a public hearing on the budget scheduled for March 2.

Correction: the original version of this article indicated that a voter referendum would be held to approve the tennis court and parking lot plan. In fact, the construction will be paid for with cash from the town's reserve, and no referendum will be held. We regret the error.