Daily Five: Town Council Establishes Task Force To Plan Future Of Groton Schools

1.  Today is Wednesday, Jan. 9. The National Weather Service predicts mostly sunny skies and a high temperature of 46 degrees. Tonight will be clear, with a low of 33 degrees and winds of 13 to 16 mph.

2.  The Town Council passed a resolution Tuesday establishing a task force that would provide recommendations for the design and future of the Groton schools.

The task force would include these members: Town Councilors James Streeter and Deb Peruzzotti; Representative Town Meeting member Jean Claude Ambroise; School Board members Rita Volkmann and Kim Shepardson Watson; Permanent School Building Committee member Enrico DeMatto; Planning Commissioner Hal Zod; School Administrator Karen Bryer; Teachers Tricia Semancik and Robert Beaulieu, Jr.; and citizens Kevin Fiftal, Holly Bresnahan, Jon Heller, Craig Koehler, Wes Greenleaf, Melissa Roode, Kevin Trejo, Dan O’Donnell and Marc Denno.

3.  Interim Superintendent John Ramos said he will present the school board’s redistricting plan to the state Board of Education on Feb. 6.  He said he believes the establishment of a task force to plan the district’s future will help the town’s case.

“We believe that the state will be more likely to adopt the redistricting plan that we present because it doesn’t end there,” he said.

The school board adopted a plan Monday that would move about 370 students in kindergarten through grade 4 to bring Groton into compliance with the state’s racial balance law and reduce crowding. 

4.  An auditor reported Tuesday that Groton has a fund balance of about 7.5 percent that is unassigned. There’s been discussion during past budget seasons about boosting that amount, but the auditor said it is a healthy amount. The Government  Finance Officers Association, a group of financial officers from across the United States and Canada, recommends an unassigned balance of 5 percent to 15 percent.

5.  Community Health Center, Inc. has opened a school-based health center at The Marine Science Magnet High School in Groton to offer medical, behavioral health and mobile dental services.

The center provides physicals, immunizations, medication management and help with acute and chronic illnesses, so students can be treated without missing school. Students receive free care if they don’t have insurance, and also get help in determining whether they’re eligible public health insurance programs.