Norwich school project back on track to voters
T hanks for listening.
Our Jan. 18 editorial urged the Norwich Board of Education not to give up on a proposed school building project. The editorial followed the board’s 4-4 vote, a tie that meant the recommendations of the School Facilities Review Committee, and its vision for revamping city schools, had not been adopted.
Some saw no procedural way back to reconsider the decision, meaning voters never getting the chance to weigh in at referendum. It seemed an ignominious ending for a project that elected leaders and appointed committee members had worked on for so long.
On Thursday, however, came the revival. Now at full staffing, the board voted 7-2 to adopt the review committee’s recommendations, with a wrinkle.
The board’s attorney had advised Chairman Aaron “Al” Daniels that the re-vote passed legal muster.
It is an expensive plan and gaining voter approve could prove difficult. But it is creative in its approach and the need to update the city’s elementary schools should be beyond debate.
The proposal calls for consolidating the city’s elementary schools into four buildings renovated as new. Two of those schools would provide an education for students in kindergarten through second grade, two for students from grades three through six. The recently renovated Kelly Middle School would continue to house grades seven and eight.
Norwich Free Academy serves as the city’s high school.
The estimated cost is $144.5 million, with the local cost $57.6 million after state reimbursement, based on the existing funding formula. A $57.6 million local commitment for four essentially new schools is arguably a sound investment.
The wrinkle came in the form of the board reserving the right to use the renovated schools for a traditional kindergarten through sixth grade format, rather than the organization by grades recommended. This came after the board heard strong support for traditional neighborhood schools. It seems reasonable to keep this option open.
Most significantly, this reconsideration moves the proposal toward a citywide vote, likely next November. That will allow the community to have an extensive discussion about its merits. Having four members of the board block that discussion in a tie vote would have been an unfortunate result.
School officials face a challenging selling job.
There is the question of whether the city can afford it, as sensible and needed as it may be. Norwich is already burdened with among the highest property tax rates in the state, particularly in its urban center, where an additional tax is assessed for the paid fire service. Some tax relief from Hartford, as proposed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, could improve the prospects of the school project winning approval.
Supporters of the project will also have to find a way of generating support among parents with students attending the Samuel Huntington School and Uncas School, who have made it clear they oppose the plan to close those schools. While there is much to be said for neighborhood schools, and closing one is always difficult, there is no way Norwich can improve and continue to fiscally support all its existing community schools.
But these are debates for another day. The important thing is there will be another day, thanks to the school board’s reconsideration.
Most significantly, the 7-2 vote by the Norwich Board of Education moves the school construction proposal toward a citywide vote, likely next November. Blocking the chance for voters to act with a tie 4-4 vote would have been an unforunate outcome.