East Haven School Closing Plan if Approved Numerous Years Away From Reality

The Board of Education made news earlier this month when Superintendent of Schools Portia Bonner proposed to consolidate 10 existing schools down to 5 as she said she feels it’s in the best interest of the school system, the New Haven Register reported at the time.

There are numerous questions associated with the school consolidation plan, and Board of Finance members received a brief update at a meeting held earlier this month.

Town Finance Director Paul Rizza told Finance Board members many of the questions including costs remain unanswered for now.

He said school officials are projecting renovations, or additions added on to buildings or closures, meeting minutes state. The Board of Education took no action on it and it is still in a discussion stage, the finance director reported.

“I think what they are looking at is getting an architect/engineer to come up with estimated cost. This is a 5 year or more phased in plan. My opinion is if we started today I don’t think we would see the end of this for 6 years. There are no figures to present at this point. They need a professional to give them an estimate for renovations at the middle school,” Rizza reported according to meeting minutes.

Bonner’s proposal still needs approval by several boards and commissions, there is no estimated price tag for the work as of yet, but it’s expected to be significant and the bottom line if her plan is approved there will be just three elementary schools left.

Here is the plan in a nutshell as outlined by the New Haven Register.

• Renovate Deer Run Elementary School for Pre-K through fourth-grade.
• Close Ferrera Elementary School when Dee Run is renovated.
• Renovate the Middle School, move the eighth grade to the High School.
• Momauquin Elementary School would be renovated, and then DC Moore Elementary would close.
• There would be one new building for Overbrook Elementary School.
• At the end of this long process, there would be three elementary schools and they each would offer a theme. The idea is to keep more students at home. East Haven loses approximately 150 students a year to magnet schools.
• Read the full New Haven Register story here.