Bethel Sup't, Haskell, Speak Out Against Regionalization

BETHEL, CT — State Senator Will Haskell (D-26) and Dr. Christine Carver, superintendent of Bethel Public Schools, testified to the state Education Committee in public hearing on Friday. Both spoke out against testimony that would force school districts to regionalize.

Carver spoke on behalf of Bethel, saying that schools in western Connecticut are already working together to combine services, such as regionalizing federal grants, to benefit the community at large, according to a release.

“I would like to emphasize that please, whatever we do, we need to remember what’s best for children,” said Dr. Carver.

Senate Bill 738 proposes would force municipalities with populations smaller than 40,000 to consolidate, if they are not already regionalized. A second bill addresses only districts with 2,000 students or fewer. A proposal from Governor Lamont calls for the establishment of a Commission of Shared School Services that would spend two years studying the issue.

“I stand in opposition to Senate Bill No. 738, which would force many municipalities to regionalize with neighboring districts,” Haskell wrote in submitted testimony. “There is certainly inefficiency and inequality in our system of public education. However, I do not believe that this is the correct path forward to address those problems. This last month, I’ve heard from thousands of constituents who are concerned about school regionalization. That’s because I have the honor of representing some of the best school districts in the state. Let’s bring every district up to that level rather than creating larger bureaucracies.”