To Members of the Groton Representative Town Meeting (RTM) 03/06/12 at 10:30 PM

As a Groton taxpayer, I am concerned with the direction the Council has taken with their vote tonight in favor of spending $1.4 million, split between the Board of Education (BOE) and the Town, in order to proceed with a consolidation of the Middle Schools.

I am still in full agreement with Councilor O’Beirne in his objections to this additional cost of $1.4 million of the taxpayer’s money for this project and hereby request that the RTM officially vote “no” to this approval at the next formal RTM meeting.

I call your attention to the proposal made by Mr. Kevin Trejo at the recent “citizen’s petition” of the Council.

Briefly, he proposes:

(a) consolidating middle schools into Fitch Middle & Cutler Middle
(b) utilizing 12 teaching teams – 7 at FM and 5 at Cutler
(c) closing Pleasant Valley Elementary – turning it over to the Town
(d) condense the PVE students into Barnam, Morrison & Kolnaski
(e) Kolnaski becomes a pre-k through grade 2 and Magnet School
(f) Westside becomes a grade 3 – 5 and also a Magnet School

This results in the following: (a) eliminate the need for using portable classrooms
(b) Westside has proper space for music & art
(c) Westside has proper bathroom facilities & handicap access
(d) racial balance issues are eliminated
(e) administrative cost can be reduced by elimination of 3 positions,
1 Vice-principal and two Principals

Among other things, this would result in reduced costs in both middle and elementary schools in terms of administration and operation and there would be no need for the $1.4 million extra cost to the taxpayers.

The facts and figures already do exist to support this proposal.

(a) building utility & operational costs are already known
(b) the proposal eliminates the PV school – subtract from (a) above
(c) teaching team costs are already known – no change there
(d) teaching costs can be reduced over time with these consolidations
(e) administrative cost reductions are a simple subtraction

If the above items are plugged into the cost computer figures, the savings will speak for themselves. Just the savings in reduction of 3 administrative salaries & medical benefits alone should exceed $300,000 annually. This would balance the (very high) BOE/Administrator’s transportation estimate of $250,000 (which I do question, especially with PV School being closed) to accomplish this plan. In the long run, over the next few years, the estimated cost savings by consolidation would save the Town and taxpayers millions of dollars.

As for the concern that changes and uncertainties can effect our schoolchildren, I agree. For this very reason, there has to be a PROPER plan. This will reduce the anxiety that many parents feel at this point and this reduced concern would pass along to their children.

In order to effect a stable changeover, a continuation with 3 middle schools for one more year should also be considered as an alternate plan. No major changes would be needed, including the money for new portable classrooms.

I hope that the RTM will take the appropriate action and deny the $1.4 million outright. Than you, as always, for your time.

Ed Johnson, Groton