Message from the Superintendent to Island Avenue Families

Good Evening,

It is the end of a long week and I would like to provide an update to the Island Avenue parent community. A number of parents have inquired about the next steps in the process following a failed referendum on Tuesday. Some have asked if the Board of Education will be voting to close Island Avenue School at their next meeting on October 3. Some have asked about the process for their voices to be heard. And some have asked about the scope of a plan for the district's facilities. I'd like to provide as much information to the parent community as I can at this point in time.

Communication with the Board of Education:

The BOE meets on October 3 and October 17 this month in the BOE offices at Town Campus. The meetings begin at 7:30 P.M. To be clear, the BOE members strongly encourage public participation at these meetings and offer two opportunities on their agenda for public input. If you would like your thoughts to be heard in a public forum, it is recommended that you attend these meetings. There is no action item on the October 3 agenda for the BOE to vote on closing Island Avenue School.

This is a business meeting of the BOE and therefore, there are rules of order that do not permit an exchange of communication or dialogue with the public. It is an opportunity for public input. Community members may be recognized by the chair, stand, state their name and home address, and make a comment. Individual comments are limited to about 3 minutes in length, however, the chair can exercise discretion so that all community members can be heard in full.

If you would like to converse with BOE members directly, the public October 3 and October 17 public meetings are not the appropriate time. You may contact each of the nine BOE members via email by clicking this link: https://www.madison.k12.ct.us/board-of-education/members You will be able to converse directly with BOE members via email. However, your public comments are encouraged at the public meetings (October 3 and October 17).

Status of Island Avenue School

It was made clear throughout the past year in the school facilities study, and emphasized in the weeks leading up to the referendum that each and every option that the BOE entertained involved the closure of Island Avenue School. The BOE committed to reducing its footprint from six schools to five. The only vote needed to officially take action to close Island Avenue School would be made by the BOE. There is not a public vote for the transfer of a school facility from the BOE to the town. The BOE is elected to make these decisions. The earliest this vote would take place is October 17. The process of closing a school is extensive. There is a significant amount of planning and there are many decisions that need to be made in advance of a school closure. Announcing the date of a closure would begin the planning process. However, the BOE is not voting on October 3 to take action to close Island Avenue School. It is anticipated that this decision would be made by the BOE at an upcoming meeting.

District Plan

The BOE facilities study addressed declining enrollment, the aging and deteriorating condition of certain facilities, and working to match learning spaces to the district's instructional vision. The BOE was provided with a comprehensive list of basic maintenance projects (i.e. mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and architectural projects, such as windows, doors, the building "envelope"), in addition to security and energy efficiency options. The BOE provided a solution to the community to address these matters and to respond to declining enrollment in the referendum last Tuesday. This solution was rejected.

The BOE remains committed to addressing the basic maintenance facilities issues and will work with professional consultants to prioritize and sequence these projects over, potentially, a ten or more year period through the town's Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The BOE does not engage in the decision-making process for funding for these projects in CIP. The BOE only identifies and prioritizes these projects. CIP and the Board of Selectmen determine the funding mechanisms for capital projects.

When the BOE takes action on the closure of Island Avenue School (again, not on October 3), the administration will work to make programmatic recommendations as a result of school reconfiguration. These recommendations will be combined with the recommendations for the identified basic maintenance projects to the facilities.

In closing, these matters are complex and emotional. Please do not misinterpret my "just the facts" approach above as a sign of insensitivity. I feel much more equipped to convey sensitivity in person than via email. However, a number of parents asked for clarity and this is my attempt to provide that. Please do not ever hesitate to contact my office directly and I will do my best to communicate honestly and openly. Some information can be provided immediately. Other information awaits initial decisions to be made. I can be reached via email or directly at 203-245-6320.

Sincerely,

Tom Scarice