New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
School regionalization options weighed
The Ansonia-Derby Temporary School Regionalization Committee — studying the feasibility of combining Ansonia and Derby schools into a regionalized district — met virtually this week, discussing several options of what a regional district might look like, as well as potential costs, and savings, for each town.
“After dealing with the cornonavirus, and having negotiations with consultants to steer the final report, I feel we are on track to having substantive discussions on moving forward,” Committee Co-Chairman Jim Gildea said Wednesday.
The committee was formed in February 2018 to explore whether joining the two school districts was viable. The committee is slated to wrap up its work in 2022. Any recommendation for regionalization would require voters in both cities to approve it at referendum.
The scenarios being considered are combining all grades preK-12 and keeping either three or four elementary schools; combining grades 6-12; and combining grades 9-12.
The general consensus of the committee is to lease existing buildings to the regional district for the most savings.
Some Ansonia committee members said regionalizing at just the 9-12 level doesn’t address their needs, while some Derby member don’t support just a 6-12 scenario for the same reason.
Ansonia has a newer high school, while Derby has a newer middle school. A recommendation by District Management Group, the Boston-based consulting group assisting the committee, suggests keeping Ansonia High School open while closing Derby High School. In the 6-12 and preK-12 scenarios, the consultants suggested keeping Derby Middle School open and closing Ansonia Middle School. If any elementary school were to close, the consultants suggested it should be Irving School in Derby.
But several committee members said closing a “neighborhood school” is something they don’t support.
“As a lifelong (Derby) resident, I have seen the impact when neighborhood schools close,” said Gildea. “There’s a life and buzz that keeps the neighborhoods alive, and closing those schools have had detrimental impacts.”
DGM prepared an equalization report which the committee began to review Wednesday. Both towns have two options for how they could contribute capital to the new joint entity, contributing or leasing. Since Ansonia is a bigger district than Derby, the split would be 64-36.
Contributing a building means the regional entity would own the facility going forward, not the town. A contributed building essentially is sold to the regional entity for the appraised value. If the value of the building(s) contributed by one town exceeds its proportional share, then the regional entity would owe that town the overage.
Leasing the buildings to the regional entity changes the capital equalization
calculation significantly. In a lease situation, the town remains the owner of its schools. The lease amount could be nominal — perhaps $1 a year — or set by any reasonable, agreed-upon rate.
DMG reported that not regionalizing would require $62 million in renovations as well as building a new Ansonia Middle School. Combining the districts into one
— using Ansonia High School, Derby Middle and the four elementary schools while closing Derby High School and Ansonia Middle School — would save about $2.5 million annually.
Combining the districts into one, with Ansonia High, Derby Middle and three elementary schools while closing Derby High, Ansonia Middle and Derby’s Irving Elementary school, would save about $2.93 million annually in operating costs.
Equalization details of costs can be viewed in the report online on the City of Ansonia website.
Committee Co-Chairman Joe Jaumann, an Ansonia alderman, said the committee is working hard to come up with the best scenario.
“We’re looking at what works best for Derby, and what works best for Ansonia, and will come up with a consensus of what works best for both combined,” Jaumann said.
The committee will hold its next virtual meeting July 27.