Steve Arsenault went to the Board of Education meeting Wednesday looking for some clarity on where his daughter will go to school next year.
He’ll have to wait.
The Board of Education postponed voting on a redistricting plan that would rearrange about 200 students next year.
Board members said they wanted to have more answers about how much money will be in their budget next year before they approve a redistricting plan.
Redistricting
The city is re-working the school district because Lafayette School is scheduled to close at the end of the year and a new 5 – 6 school is set to open in September.
Two proposals have been floated — one that distributes the Lafayette students between two different city schools, and one that distributes them across three other schools. View the second proposal in a document at the end of this article.
If the first plan is approved, Arsenault’s daughter, Emma, would stay at her present school, Mohegan School.
In the second proposal, Emma would end up at Elizabeth Shelton School.
“We’re anxious to find out,” Arsenault said after the board tabled its vote. “I believe Mohegan School is one of the best schools in Shelton. I hope to see her stay there. Obviously if she goes to the other school, we’ll adjust.”
In each redistricting proposal, some students from the other city elementary school are also shifted around to keep class sizes level and help with bus routes.
The Budget
The vote was tabled because of uncertainty with the school budget figures.
While school officials had requested $66.5 million for the 2010-11 budget, Mayor Mark A. Lauretti only allocated $63.1 million in his proposal in late February. Read an article about parents’ push to get more money.
Lauretti’s proposal still represents a small increase in education spending over the current year.
The Board of Aldermen is reviewing Lauretti’s proposal now and is set to vote on it May 13.
Board member Arlene Liscinski made a motion Wednesday night to wait until after that day to decide on the redistricting plan.
“I seriously do think it would be prudent to wait until we know where we stand fiscally,” Liscinski said.
The Board of Education had originally planned to make a decision sooner so parents could have answers.
“We understand the concern and difficulty that will cause our parents,” said board member Win Oppel.
But, the prospect of changes to the redistricting plan later might cause more inconvenience, Oppel said.
Oppel was quoted in the Connecticut Post saying another school may close if the Board of Education doesn’t get enough money in its budget.
But Board Chairman Tim Walsh said at the meeting Wednesday that prospect is not being discussed at this time.
The document below is the second plan the Board of Education reviewed.
Redistricting Revised