Southington Parents, Leaders Eye Critical School Referendum Vote
When Southington voters take to the polls on November 3rd, they will not only be voting for local politicians, but making a decision that could potentially change the future of the entire school district.
“Shall the town of Southington appropriate $86,675,560 for costs related to the Elementary Facilities Plan, including a new Kelley Elementary School, a fit out of the South End Elementary School, and closing Flanders Elementary School and repurposing the building and property for municipal and community use, and authorize the issue of $86,675,560 bonds and notes to finance the appropriation?” reads the referendum question on this year’s ballot.
If passed, the plan would see the rebuilding of Kelley, an addition to South End, and the eventual closure of Flanders. Voters are being asked to authorize borrowing for the plan, which district leaders say would provide better learning facilities for the children in the district. The school system would also redistrict the elementary school map, once the new buildings are in place, reassigning some students to new schools.
The referendum has divided parents across Southington as they grapple with how to improve the physical conditions of local elementary schools while also saving taxpayers money.
“I'm so passionate about this, because it’s what's in the best interest of our community. The most important investment we can make is in education, our community. It's just a passion of mine because my kids and everyone's are going to be directly affected by this,” said Seth Korn, a parent of two children currently attending Kelley Elementary School.
Shama Greene is a parent of a recent Flanders graduate and a teacher in another district. Like Korn, she has concerns about the physical condition of local schools after attending a tour of all eight elementary schools. In notes from her visits, she wrote that Kelley was “very dark”, had a “funky smell” and ceiling tiles that needed to be replaced. Flanders, she said, was crowded, with all of its classrooms in use.
Greene said she supports doing something to help with crowding and space utilization, but not the referendum in its current form.
“Kelley School parents really do want a new school, and I'm not saying they don't deserve it. But when I went and saw all eight, it wasn't just a Kelley issue,” said Greene. “I see a space problem. They can tell you about utilization rates, or what they supposedly are. I don't see that. I see schools being used in every single inch. There is not an inch to spare.”
The pre-k through fifth grade enrollment in the district is expected to see a slight increase of about 175 students over the next ten years.
Korn also sees a space issue, but said the conditions at Kelley are far worse than at other schools. The playground is particularly poor in comparison to other schools, and the bell system and other school mechanical functions are barely working, he noted. While his own children would not benefit from a new Kelley, which would be slated to open in 2030 should the referendum pass, he said now is the best time to undertake the referendum project.
“We just continue to kick the can down the road, and you can see the price of what it would take to just renovate and get those schools up to code. The cost is astronomical compared to building a brand new building,” said Korn.
In total, the project would cost $86.4 million dollars up front, of which the district’s estimated final share, after the state does its part, would be $39.7 million. That would come down to $33.9 million should the district place early childhood care in the new Kelley or expanded South End, and so qualify for additional state aid.
The tax impact for Southington residents would arrive in 2029. For example, a homeowner with a fair market value of $200,000 and assessed value of $140,000 could expect to pay an extra $4.57 in monthly taxes in 2029, and $6.52 monthly in 2030.
“I think for people who may be worried that we just got a tax increase, and if we vote yes now, it's coming right away with another one on its heels, it's not. Any tax increases associated with the project wouldn't kick in until 2029,” said Madancy.
The idea of remodeling area schools has been discussed since at least 2017, when an enrollment study was done. For years, events such as the COVID pandemic or other major town referendums prevented plans related to the elementary schools from advancing. But in 2025, the town council voted to send the plan in its current form to referendum.
It was also in 2025 that Flanders was designated as the school to be closed. Madancy and Oshana say this was due to various reasons.
“I would say that a few things were considered. One was geographic location in town. Kelley is kind of on its own on that side in that part of town, whereas Flanders is in very close proximity to Hatton. Because there were only three schools remaining that needed work, the third school to consider would have been Derynoski, and given the population density downtown, nobody thought it made sense to move that school out of the center of town. I think the other piece that was considered was just the parcel of land itself. Kelley's site was a lot more ideal for new construction than Flanders' site was,” said Madancy.
Choosing which of the elementary schools to shut down was not easy, said Oshana, and came after several studies were completed.
“It sounds like an easy decision, but it was not an easy decision,” said Oshana. “There was a lot of research and discussion, property reviews and all that sort of stuff before the ultimate decision was made.”
Greene said that the town has not been transparent enough with taxpayers about how much each stage and aspect of the project would cost. A website created by her and other parents on the “no” side of the referendum lists their concerns. They question what renovations would be needed to turn Flanders into a municipal building if the referendum passes, and what the financial impact to the town would be if it does not pass.
Should the referendum fail, the district estimates that ongoing building maintenance and repairs would cost around $105.8–$116.4 million dollars. In Korn’s opinion, that is what makes the referendum the best plan for the town.
“It needs to go forward. We have been kicking the can on this project for years,” said Korn. “Right now, this is a perfect time for our community, because our debt service is really low as a community. If it's not now, then when? It is extremely sad, the disparity between Kelley school and the others.”
The debt service cost is a large part of the reason why the referendum was put on the ballot this year. According to Madancy, restrictions on how the town uses its finances means that a new school could actually be built faster than the old school could be renovated.
“The town has a policy limit of nine-and-a-half percent, which means you can only take on so much debt at a time. That essentially means you can only take on one project at a time. So, if this school is four years out, and then the next one doesn't even go into design phase, then that's two more years out. You're essentially looking at six years out before that school would be completed,” said Madancy.
Madancy said he has met with all the elementary school PTOs, conducted open forums and led parents on tours of buildings. But Greene said that she and other parents felt their voices and concerns were not heard in the process.
“I wholeheartedly believe that things need to happen, but there was not enough community input. Like the community should have been fully involved in this process, and they weren't. Parents should have been on the board, on this committee. Principals should have been on this committee,” said Greene.
A particular point of contention revolves around the district-wide facilities committee. The committee included members of the Board of Education, town council, planning and zoning committee, the town manager, Board of Finance secretary, director of business and finance, director of operations and the superintendent. But Greene said it did not include parents and teachers who would be impacted by the referendum.
What Greene said she would like to see, regardless of the outcome of the referendum, is a committee composed of individuals from all sectors of town, all committed to improving the school conditions for local children.
“I think I would rather see a more inclusive committee, composed of multiple people, not one town council person, not one board of finance person, but multiple from both of those committees,” said Greene. “I would like to see parents involved, and it doesn't have to be parents of elementary school kids. I would like to see citizens that don't even have kids in the district, just town residents. I'd like to see some admin. There needs to be a better representative group.”
Superintendent Steven Madancy is now in a period of non-advocacy regarding the proposal. However, he did share a final statement on the issue:
“As superintendent, I believe this proposal is a sound way to address the facilities and educational needs we have identified. I want residents to understand both the investment it requires and the costs and limitations of maintaining the current buildings. Ultimately, this decision belongs to Southington voters.”
