MONROE, CT — Board of Education Chairman David Ferris is reaching out to the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services to learn everything the district must do before applying for financial reimbursement for a capital project needed to provide the school space the town needs amid growing student enrollment.
If the town cannot meet the June 30 deadline to apply, the application will have to wait another year.
“I was initially under the impression that we could get our application in as long as we had this in the works with the town,” Ferris said. “And our rep from the architectural firm says, no she doesn’t believe that’s the case. So that’s what we’re trying to verify.”
Michelle H. Miller, a project manager and architect with Silver Petrucelli & Associates, said she believes the town’s entire approval process must be complete before the Board of Education can apply for financial reimbursement from the state.
“If we have to go to the first selectman, Town Council, Board of Finance, all that stuff by June 30th, it’s not happening,” Ferris said at Monday’s Board of Education meeting. “Unfortunately, the state only makes those decisions once a year.”
After the committee comes up with a recommendation and the Board of Education and town approvals are obtained, residents will vote in a referendum on the bonding. It would take an aggressive timeline to do it by this spring, and Ferris said the last thing he wants to do is rush the process.
If the town has to wait until next year to apply, Ferris said, “we’ll just slow the boat down. It will give us some time to talk to the public a little more, explore every possibility and really do a complete and thorough job … so we really make sure we’re solid in our decisions.”
After a school space option is vetted and approved, Ferris said it would take about a year to work with the state and by the time an RFP could go out, construction would not begin until the summer of 2027 or later.
Jerry Stevens, a school board member who also serves on the committee, said, “what scares me is the cost,” adding he heard about five capital projects being postponed because tariffs drove up the cost of steel and windows. “And the 36.7 percent that we’re guaranteed now, historically it drops every year,” Stevens said he said of the reimbursement rate.
Stevens said he wants to get a plan out there, vote on it and let the town say, “we’re sorry we can’t do it,” if it comes to that.
Alan Vaglivelo, a board member, asked if there was anyway they could just push a project to reopen Chalk Hill through by June.
“Not if they want the town vote,” Ferris replied.
Ad Hoc Facilities Committee
The Board of Education’s Ad Hoc Facilities Committee, which has been studying potential school space solutions, heard from parents at its meeting last Thursday. The committee plans to perform its own survey to gather public input and come up with a final recommendation for the Board of Education to decide on.
At Thursday’s meeting, Ferris presented a timeline for the school facilities study, which spans from public meetings dating back to January of 2023.
Many Monroe Elementary School parents had become upset recently after learning one option for consideration involved discontinuing to use MES as an elementary school.
They have since become more involved, reaching out to educators and attending meetings. Two mothers, Amy Lachioma and Liz Modugno created a survey to gauge parents’ opinions on the issue and shared the results on Thursday.
The survey, which was available on Facebook, had 500 responses. Modugno said its purpose was to find out what residents want the town to do.
Lachioma said they honed in on the pros and cons the committee presented for options B and F1.
Option B calls for bringing Chalk Hill back as a school for grades 5 and 6, keeping Monroe Elementary school as a pre-K through grade 4 school, and making both Stepney and Fawn Hollow grades K-4 elementary schools.
Option F1 entails reopening Chalk Hill as a new intermediate school for grades 4-6, continuing to use Monroe Elementary for the Board of Education offices, IT and the pre-K program, while also housing a new therapeutic day program and the alternative high school.
Stepney and Fawn Hollow would be grade K-3 schools, with Jockey Hollow housing grades 7-8 and Masuk continuing to be for grades 9-12.
Among some key survey results, 82 percent of respondents voted in favor of Option B, because it keeps Monroe Elementary School (MES) as an elementary school. But that number rises to just below 88 percent if a proposal for a therapeutic day program that could bring outplaced students back home is located elsewhere.
Top reasons for choosing B is 55 percent do not believe the preschool program and alternative high school should be in the same building, 42 percent felt Option F1 contained too many transitions, 78 percent of parents of outplaced students chose Option B, and 29 percent say it is the most financially feasible option at more than $30 million less.
Forty percent of those who chose Option F1 expressed a belief that Monroe needs a therapeutic day school, which 26 percent say will save Monroe money by paying less tuition for outplaced students.
Parents overwhelmingly expressed a belief that fourth graders do not have the maturity to be in a middle school with fifth and sixth graders and recalled how well Chalk Hill had worked as a fifth and sixth grade school in the past.
Another suggestion is moving the Board of Education offices out of MES, because it is easier for adults to make a transition to another building, and it frees up school space there.
“Thank you. I think this is very good information,” Ferris said, “and I thank you for putting it together for us.”
Steve Kirsch, a committee member who serves on the Board of Finance in town, said he wants the professionals to make an assessment of the pros and cons of a grade four through six school, because it would free up more space in the town’s three elementary schools.
“Our history is a five-six, not a four to six,” said Stevens, a retired teacher with a long career of working for the school district.
Ralph Franco, a teacher serving on the committee, noted how middle schoolers in Jockey Hollow’s STEM Academy have had no problems sharing space with older students at Masuk High School. But Stevens pointed out that they do not ride on the same school buses.
No matter what option is chosen, committee members seemed to agree on adding a third floor to Chalk Hill.
Public comments
The Ad Hoc Facilities Committee held a public comment session for its meeting on March 13 for the first time and Ferris said these sessions will be included going forward.
Analisa Siciliano Martins, an MES parent, asked committee members to keep in mind how children spend more time at school than at home during the school year. She said she opposes having fourth graders going to middle school due to differences in maturity.
Martins recalled how successful Chalk Hill was a fifth and sixth grade school. “Let’s improve on what we know works,” she said.
Martins said she was happy to hear adding a third floor to Chalk Hill was discussed that night, and suggested having Option B, while housing a therapeutic day program and Board of Education offices on that floor.
“If STEM is leaving Masuk, why can’t that wing be used for the alternative school?” she asked. “I feel the option is better than closing an elementary school and pushing those two programs into a building with preschoolers.”
Jennifer Paniccia, an MES parent, said she hopes there will be structured outreach leading up to a vote in June, so it’s not just parents complaining at meetings.
“We reached out because we were mad about an option to close a school,” she said. “We need to know when an idea is being presented to this committee.”
“You have to understand that to everyone in this room, this feels massive,” Paniccia added. “This is a lot. It’s our kids’ lives and we’re supposed to set them up for success and you’re making these major decisions in their lives without us feeling onboard.”
Beyond the costs, she asked that the presentations include how school campuses will function, from the emergency evacuation plan for three schools on the same campus, to the effect on school schedules and bus routes.
Other parents mentioned the costs of portables that may be necessary before a capital project is completed.
Lauren Condron, the mother of a special education student, shared how well her son, who used to be nonverbal, is now doing at Monroe Elementary School. She said multiple transitions to different schools, taking young children away from their friends is a big deal.
“Monroe El has been so phenomenal,” Condron said. “I have no skin in the game. My son is a fourth grader, but it would break my heart to see this school close.”
All respectful comments with the commenter’s first and last name are welcome.
