Newtown Board of Education to Consider Closing a School Due to Declining Enrollment

Parents who attended Thursday night’s enrollment and facilities open forum at the High School were told that due to declining enrollment in the Newtown Public Schools, the Board of Education will be considering the possibility of closing a Newtown school and redistricting students as a result.

Although the 2016-17 school year is the earliest a school closing could occur, the Board of Education and School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Erardi are seeking public input into the decision and sharing information from a ten-year projected, comprehensive enrollment study recently prepared by the Connecticut-based consulting firm, Milone & MacBroom.

Details of a separate internal enrollment study completed by district officials will be revealed to the Board of Education and the general public at its June 2 regular meeting.

School enrollment is expected to drop by about 195 students for the next school year and will continue to drop by about 200 students per year for the next five to six years, Dr. Erardi told the parents in attendance at Thursday’s meeting.

Of the seven school buildings in the district, Dr. Erardi said only the High School and the new Sandy Hook School - scheduled to open for the 2016-17 school year on its old site- are safe from being closed.

One parent at the forum questioned why the district is building a new school when another could be closed down due to declining enrollment.

Dr. Erardi explained that it was the consensus of the community and elected officials that it is essential to have a school in that part of town.

Board member Kathy Hamilton further explained that there has been a conversation on expanding or building a new Sandy Hook school for the past few years, which was subsequently waylaid because of the tragedy.

“Sandy Hook would never have been the one (school) we would close because it’s the biggest (elementary) school,” Hamilton said at the forum.

Dr. Erardi stressed that only the Board of Education can make the decision to close a Newtown school and that their decision would be based on two primary guidelines - that instruction would not be compromised and the most cost-effective scenario would be achieved.

Erardi revealed several different grade configurations which could be looked at by the Board, including a K-5 / 6-8 / 9-12 setup, or a K-4 / 5-7 / 8-12 setup, among other possibilities.

Another parent stressed that she hoped the Board would take into consideration poor air quality at some of the older schools, such as Hawley and the Middle School. Board Chairman Keith Alexander said after the session that air quality and safety considerations would be a part of the complex decision, but added that poor air quality at a school would not automatically make it a more likely target for closure because that is something that can be fixed.

Another consideration for the Board, Erardi said, is that Hawley School receives about a $40,000 yearly endowment from the Hawley family and where that money would go if Hawley School is closed is currently being investigated by town officials.

At Thursday’s forum, Erardi also revealed that the town’s entire pre-school program would be moved to the new Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2016-17. This would contribute to the school’s 500 student enrollment cap, Alexander confirmed. Currently, the Sandy Hook school, based in Monroe, has 340 students.

Erardi stressed to parents that the declining school enrollment, due to a declining birth rate and housing market in town, is not unique to Newtown and is happening in similar suburban towns.

For parents who were unable to attend Thursday’s community forum, a video taping of the meeting is available through the school district’s website, as is a copy of the enrollment study.

Image Credit: Rebecca Carnes

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