Schools
Region 19 School Board Likely To Delay Action On Potential E.O. Smith Sale
A Tuesday rally is scheduled before Tuesday's meeting.
MANSFIELD, CT - Region 19 School District officials are postponing any action on a potential sale of the existing E.O. Smith High School campus indefinitely to give residents of Mansfield, Ashford and Willington a chance to further study the possibilities, Superintendent of Schools Bruce Silva said Tuesday.
But district parents are going ahead with a rally prior to Tuesday's Region 19 school board meeting anyway.
The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the rally is on tap for 6:30 p.m.
Find out what's happening in Mansfield-Storrsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Over the winter, E.O.Smith officials said they were exploring the possibility of selling the campus at UConn and moving it to a parcel near the UConn Depot Campus on Route 44.
The Region 19 board will be voting to put off a November referendum and an informational session indefinitely.
Find out what's happening in Mansfield-Storrsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The board said in a statement on the meeting packet, "The building committee has been reviewing relevant information with respect to a possible transaction with the University of Connecticut regarding the E.O. Smith High School site and a portion of the University of Connecticut Depot Campus. At this point in time, there are no concrete terms of a potential transaction and as a result of the proximity to the proposed June 9th community meeting, the building committee recommends postponing any such meetings, including any referendum votes on this matter, to a date or dates to be determined in the future, if warranted."
The rally is being sponsored by the group "Keep E.O. Smith Downtown."
The group has an active Facebook page.
"The group has formed in response to the Regional School District #19 Board of Education’s potential plans on moving E.O. Smith High School to the Depot Campus area, without proper time, transparency, or input from the community," according to a pre-rally statement.
Silva said the process has been transparent, but said school officials said they want public input on the proposal.
The rally is scheduled for the front of the school.
Photo Credit: Patch
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
