Town Involvement Expected in Study Process

By Wiley Wood

On Wednesday, May 29, the Norfolk-Colebrook Study Committee met to choose a consultant. After hearing two presentations, the committee decided to hire Education Connection to shepherd them through the process. Based in Litchfield, Conn., the organization is the Regional Education Service Center for western Connecticut and recently prepared the preliminary study on consolidating the two towns’ elementary schools under a new regional authority.
By statute, the committee must submit a recommendation to the commissioner of education, either for or against regionalization, by December 18, 2014, two years after the towns of Colebrook and Norfolk voted by referendum to approve the study.
In the timeline recommended by Jonathan Costa of Educational Connection, the committee would complete its work within the coming year and send its decision to the commissioner by the spring of 2014. If the committee recommends regionalization and the state commissioner approves the plan, the two towns could vote by referendum on whether or not to regionalize in the fall of 2014. Both towns would have to vote in favor for regionalization to occur. If they did so, the consolidation of the two schools could happen as early as the fall of 2015.
“In every town where regionalization has been considered, the two things that people want to know is whether the plan would save them money and whether it would give them an educational program at least as good as what they’ve already got,” said Norfolk School Superintendant George Counter.
Arguing the importance of town involvement in examining regionalization, Costa suggested that the committee form smaller study groups to look at different pieces of the puzzle and include interested members of the public in these groups. One group might look at the legal issues and suggest a framework for governing the new regional elementary board. Another would consider the educational program, including class size and curriculum. A third would look at the logistics of transportation and the school’s physical plant. A fourth would make financial projections. The committee must by statute submit a five-year budget if it recommends regionalization.
The next meeting is on Monday, June 11 at 7 p.m. at the Botelle School.