School Board Tables Vote on Care Provider

After weeks of presentations by three potential care providers and considerable discussion Tuesday night, the Board of Education voted to table a decision until more information can be provided.

Educational Resources for Children, the Enfield Child Development Center and the Hartford Region YWCA are all vying to provide before- and after-school programs for Enfield students.

The YWCA made its pitch to the board on Feb. 22, while ERfC and the ECDC presented their proposals at the board's last meeting on March 8.

Several board members stated they were not sure what they would be voting on, while others said the panel should not be in the business of selecting care providers.

The issue of before- and after-school care has become prominent due to the reconfiguration of the town's elementary schools, slated for the 2011-12 school year. Under the reorganization, three schools will service kindergarten through second grade students, while the other four schools will handle grades three through five. The Thomas Alcorn and Harriet Beecher Stowe buildings will be closed.

A recent decision by the board will not allow students to attend out-of-district elementary schools; in addition, the town will not provide transportation for students to attend an after-school care provider that is located outside that school district's boundaries.

During the public communication portion of Tuesday's meeting, six residents, including state Rep. David Kiner, spoke in favor of Educational Resources for Children, a non-profit organization founded in the mid-1990s.

At the Feb. 22 meeting, nearly a dozen parents addressed the board in support of the Enfield Child Development Center, a town-run agency on South Road.

Board member Joyce Hall moved to accept Educational Resources for Children as the care provider. Vice chairman Chuck Johnson then made a motion to table the vote until more information could be gathered.

Johnson, Judy Apruzzese-Desroches, Vin Grady, Stacy Thurston and Tom Sirard voted to table the decision, while Jonaitis, Hall, Donna Szewczyk and chairman Greg Stokes voted against it.

The next meeting of the Board of Education is Tuesday, April 12.