BOE Approves School Rebuild by 8-1 Vote
- Philip Thibodeau
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
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.
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
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.
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.
