Titanic Finances:

Enfield pitched a massive school modernization project aimed at consolidating schools from pre-k through grade 5. The district plans to submit the grant application in June 2026 and hold a referendum later this year. The project is estimated at over $500 million, and the town anticipates reimbursement of up to 70-85%.

While this sounds like a great ship in theory, I will vote no to this Titanic effect. They need a better plan to avoid sinking, not word of mouth. This is like the tip of the iceberg. I think we can all acknowledge that Enfield schools need modernization, but there are many hidden dangers with this project. Enfield Public Schools already demonstrated significant challenges with financial management and communication, two vitally important aspects for a project of this magnitude. Enfield needs to have a better “track record” with these issues before receiving additional funding.

First and foremost, Enfield Public Schools are already sunk with a $5.6 million deficit. The district attributed this loss to missing alliance funding and reimbursement for a capital project that cost less than 1% of this project. It’s a warning that we are not headed in the right direction, and we need to slow down and look at the facts.

Phantom funding

It wasn't just a mistake to go full steam ahead; it was a willful choice to budget $2.8 million in alliance funding they knew wasn’t coming. Why should we trust their projections for a $500 million construction project?

According to Irene Parisi, Enfield’s Chief Academic Officer at the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE), Enfield was made aware they were in an alliance district in March 2022: *

“Enfield did not have an increase in ECS funding, therefore there were no funds to be set aside to go directly to the School District. To clarify, the Alliance District Grant is equal to any increase in ECS that a district is receiving over the amount they received in the designated year - Enfield's look back year was 2022.”

As Superintendent Christopher Drezek stated in 2022:

“I am aware of the process, but since Enfield is not receiving an Alliance grant, we’re not required to submit a plan.” **

Communication "Black Hole"

Another glaring issue is that the Town and School District have evident communication gaps and still rely on verbal assumptions rather than documented paper trails. Drezek admitted that notification of the Alliance status was handled verbally with only select officials:

“Again, to the best of my knowledge, all of this notification was done verbally, with the majority of it happening in public. I can say that with confidence, as a member of the audience brought this up in public communication before I was able to share it with the entire Board. I was only permitted to share this designation with the Chair (at the time it was Ms. LeBlanc), and the Town Manager, as that was done verbally. To this day, neither Ms. LeBlanc nor I know how the information was made public before we could share it with the Board.”***

Amazingly, the Town and School District still rely on verbal confirmation of accounted money. They are only as effective as the data they are given and the trust they have in the Enfield Business Office. Similarly, the Town and School District are relying on verbal assurances about possible pending legislative reimbursements, project management capabilities, and logistics. Even more importantly, there's a breakdown in public transparency, with no formal communications plan or Town lead press contact that can handle all questions on this large-scale project.

Manual Weaknesses

A $500 million project requires "All Hands on Deck" transparency. If leaders aren’t documenting warnings through official channels, the rest of the crew cannot help avoid the iceberg.

The district did not receive the $1.7 million reimbursement for the tennis court project, partially due to failing to record an 'award letter' into the system. The CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) audit specifically flagged the use of manual tracking as a negative contributor to the deficit. **** Losing $1.7 million through mismanagement suggests a high probability of losing millions more on this modernization project.

Tracking a $500 million project without a transparency plan and hard numbers is like taking on water that will eventually sink the boat.

Stop the Engines!

We need a forensic audit, ongoing public financial discussions, and a modernized, integrated financial system before we vote.

I'm not rejecting the plan and vision for students; I'm asking to modernize our district's financial systems and improve communication between the Town and School District. Enfield must demonstrate that all funds, including all grants and private funds, are fully integrated into the financial management system. The town must prove it can track every cent before we vote "yes" on a project of this magnitude. We must demand transparency before we head to the polls.

Sources and References

* Parisi, Irene (Chief Academic Officer, CSDE). Email to Connecticut State Department of Education, February 15, 2024. Obtained via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

**Email to Superintendent Christopher Drezek, August 18, 2022.

***Email to Superintendent Christopher Drezek, April 1, 2024. Obtained via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

****CliftonLarsonAllen LLP. Enfield Public Schools Internal Audit of Financial Operations: Final Report. Prepared by Jeffrey Ziplow, Lindsey Intrieri, and Aaron Perillo. November 2025.