Auditor: School Construction Plan Would Save More Than Renovating Existing Schools

A recently released review performed by an independent auditing firm stated that the Board of Education’s proposed school construction project will save Groton taxpayers $60,865,027 over the next 25 years as compared to the status quo, which maintains and renovates, as needed, the six school buildings that would be affected by the project. 

According to the proposal, a new middle school for seventh and eighth graders would built where Claude Chester Elementary School now sits and Cutler Middle School will be renovated and converted into an elementary school for second through sixth grades. 

West Side Middle School and S.B. Butler Elementary School would be renovated and converted into a early childhood education centers for pre-kindergarten through first grades. 

Pleasant Valley Elementary and Fitch Middle School, the district’s oldest buildings, will close. 

The status quo assumes that all buildings continue to operate in their current capacity with basic renovations to meet state requirements for accessibility, fire and safety codes, and, to improve the heating, cooling, and electrical and pluming systems. 

The analysis compared the salary and benefits, facility and energy costs, the state grant impact and the debt service impact of both scenarios. 

The report said, “the majority of the savings would be salaries and benefits totaling approximately $39,870,000” and “calculated the estimated cost savings for the three years 2012-2014 which totaled approximately $7,189,000.” 

“It was part of our due diligence in making sure our efforts are accurate,” said Superintendent of Schools Paul Kadri of the review. The report was paid for from the facilities account of the district’s budget and used reports supplied by the architects hired by the town to estimate construction costs. 

The audit was performed by Kostin, Ruffkess and Company, LLC of Farmington, and Sal Pandolfo, the director of the Groton’s finance department, said the firm is accepted by the state’s Office of Policy Management for auditing municipalities. 

Kadri said the firm was recommended to him and Pandolfo confirmed that the town has hired the firm in the past and is currently using the firm to perform an audit of the Fitch High School construction. 

The issue will be decided by voters in the referendum on Monday, May 2.

Phone calls to members of Friends For Affordable Education, the political action committee opposed to the construction project, were not returned.

Phase II-A-Thon

Taxpayers for Groton Schools said in a press release Wednesday that it will hold a live, internet-based “Phase II-A-Thon” during which elected leaders and community members will answer questions related to the proposed school construction plan.

The event will take place on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. and will be broadcast online at http://www.livestream.com/gs_online.  Listeners will be able to e-mail questions to organizers once they log on to the site, according to the release.