Schools

Graduation Delayed - Irene Guzzled Snow Days And Diesel Fuel

Consolidation Of Middle Schools Is The Next Big Topic For School Board

With one official snow day left in the calendar, the committee of the whole board of education Monday agreed to move the high school graduation date from June 15 to June 22, 2012. 

The move came after the district had to use three of four built-in snow days before the first day of school due to power outages in several schools caused by tropical storm Irene. 

"We'll be a wreck every time is snows," said board member Elizabeth Gianacoplos of the need for an extension. 

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"Now we have six potential (snow days), which is what we used last year," said Kadri of the extension. Although, if all snow days are not used, there will be a gap from the last day of school to graduation. 

"That wouldn't be great," he said. "But I don't think anyone's expecting that." 

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The committee of the whole board also revived discussions about middle school consolidation and all agreed that a final decision should be made as soon as possible.  

"We don't have the luxury of coming up with a long term plan," said board member Chaz Zezulka. "We cannot meet next year's budget unless we close a school." 

Board members have not yet decided which middle school to close but the decision process began this winter in anticipation of the need for a consolidation.

"The urgency couldn't be greater and I can't see that the data is going to be all that different," said board member Jennifer Sim. "I really don't understand this constant waiting, I understand it's a difficult decision but that's why we're here." 

The board is waiting for final enrollment data, which will be available Oct.1, but other factors will be taken into consideration. Classroom space, for instance, is limited and can determine course offerings at a school. 

Robert Peruzzotti cautioned that the district cannot count on using all the portable classrooms that are in use now. Portable classrooms across the district cannot be moved because they are too old, and space for each unit is also a factor.

"Some of them are made in the 70's and they'll fall apart if they try to move them," he said. 

Zezulka said that the cost of consolidation should not be the only consideration and he took issue with class size in one school, which, at 28 kids a class, he found to be too many. 

"There are 28 (kids) in  every class and 6, 7, 8 kids with special needs," he said. "I would be livid if that were my team. We need to address that as well as the dollar amount." 

"We have to decide before Christmas in order to get permits in and all the paperwork that's required," Zezulka said. "We will not meet next year's budget unless we consolidate schools, we have to do it." 

At the next meeting, board members will revisit the cost per student in the middle schools, the impact of consolidation on class size, what it will cost to close each middle school, the cost of redistricting and busing, the impact on curriculum, the impact of racial composition on each school, and the long-term potential for overcrowding. 

Costs of tropical storm Irene

Wes Greenleaf, the director of the district's buildings and grounds, said that tropical storm Irene cost the district 110 hours in overtime, which was used mostly when Fitch High School was declared an emergency shelter.  

Greenleaf said the district also had to run three diesel generators during the outage and burned over 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel. In total, tropical storm Irene cost the district more than $28,000, according to Greenleaf, and he expects that financial aid from FEMA will cover the bill.


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