Rumblings Continue As Groton Proceeds With Middle School Plan

A member of the political action committee Friends for Affordable Education says he has a better plan that would consolidate the middle schools without costing $1.4 million.

Kevin Trejo, who’s been a vocal critic of the school department’s handling of school consolidation, suggested to the board of education and the town council that it keep Cutler Middle and Fitch Middle schools open so that portables are not required.

Trejo said the district could then close Pleasant Valley Elementary, move those students to Charles Barnum Elementary, Catherine Kolnaski Magnet School and Mary Morrisson Elementary. West Side Middle School could become an elementary for students in grades 3 to 5, and Catherine Kolnaski Magnet School could be come an elementary for students in pre-kindergarten through grade 2, he said.

“We could lower our costs and still do the same thing,” Trejo said.

Superintendent Paul Kadri said he is proceeding with the plan the school board approved. During community meetings, he said residents overwhelmingly said that if a middle school had to close, Fitch Middle was the logical choice.

“If the board had come out with any recommendation other than (consolidating students into West Side and Cutler), assuming that we could make this work, we would be crucified for not listening to the community,” Kadri said.

He added that closing schools and shuffling students affects transportation, academic programs, racial balance and other issues.

“It is good for people to say, ‘Have you thought about this?’ But to pitch it as an alternative plan, that’s like someone when develops a medicine, and someone (else) says, ‘Well, if you squeeze two lemons together, it’s going to be better,” Kadri said.

The school department has begun interior work at Cutler and West Side to accommodate additional students, and Kadri is expected to present a redistricting plan to the school board on Monday.

The school department will also have to ask the Town Council and ultimately Representative Town Meeting for $1.4 million to buy portable classrooms and complete the interior work.  Groton is eligible for reimbursement from the state and expects to get about half back, which would bring the local cost to about $700,000.

Scott Aument, a member of Representative Town Meeting from district 6, said this morning he’s leaning toward voting against the $1.4 million request.

“I think we rushed into it,” Aument said during an earlier interview Thursday. “We didn’t look at other plans that could have been done without using $1.4 million.”

Keith Hedrick, chairman of the education committee for Representative Town Meeting, said he’s not heard of any concerted effort to reject the spending.

“From my point of view it does not make sense to say we’re going to close a school and consolidate from three to two, and then not spend the money to execute that plan,” Hedrick said. “However, I don’t know if enough people are frustrated with how things have been going, to say ‘Enough is enough, ‘Don’t spend my money.’”

Hedrick said he does not know if the request will be submitted along with the education budget, or if it will be submitted as a separate capital spending request.