Open Letter to Groton Town Council

To the Honorable Mayor Somers, Members of the Groton Town Council, Town Manager, Town Clerk and PATCH readers:  

As a Groton taxpayer, I am concerned with the direction the Council is taking as a result of the COW meeting with the BOE on Tuesday (02/28/12).   I am full agreement with Councilor O'Beirne in his objections to the additional cost of $1.4 million for the middle school consolidation project and hereby request that the Council officially vote "no" to this approval at the next formal Council 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, Morrisson & Kolnaski                                 

(e) Kolnaski becomes a pre-k through grade 2 and Magnet School                                 

(f)  West Side becomes a grade 3 - 5 and also a Magnet School    

This results in the following:

(a) eliminate the need for using portable classrooms                                          

(b) West Side has proper space for music & art                                          

(c) West Side 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.   What concerns me is that apparently no one at either the BOE or Council has taken a closer look at this proposal. It was not under consideration at Tuesday's meeting and has not been listed in any of the proposals reported in the media.  

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.  

As for the concern that changes and uncertainties can effect our school children, 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.  

I hope that the Council will take the appropriate action. Than you, as always, for your time.  

Ed Johnson, Groton