Board of Finance Gives Provisional Approval

By Wiley Wood
A security assessment of the Botelle School, conducted this past year in accordance with a new state law, gave the school high marks in every respect except for the configuration of its entrance. Superintendent Mary Beth Iacobelli appeared before the Board of Finance with a plan to remedy the deficiency and requested approval from the town to proceed. The board promised to support the measure.

The plan, as outlined by Iacobelli, calls for reconstructing the entrance so that it will have a secure area behind the first set of doors where visitors can present identification and discuss the purpose of their visit before being admitted through a second set of doors to the school itself. At present there is only one set of doors.

“While we know that we cannot ever guarantee that we wouldn’t have . . . that we could keep someone out,” said Iacobelli, “these are the types of actions that buy time, and they know that buying time saves lives.”

The design for the new entranceway was funded by a grant from the State of Connecticut. It was produced for the school by Norfolk architect Kate Johnson of Responsive Designs.

The cost of reconfiguring the entranceway is estimated at $61,000. Iacobelli plans to apply for a state grant to cover about a third of the amount. The town would have to supply the remainder, or about $42,000, in the event that the grant application is successful. Iacobelli asked the Board of Finance for some assurance that the town would partner with the school in paying for the redesign.

“Given what happened at Newtown,” said Michael Sconyers, chairman of the Board of Finance, “any request from the Board of Education to upgrade security is something we’re going to take very seriously.”

At the same time, Sconyers pointed out that his board is not empowered to appropriate more than $20,000 beyond the town’s annual budget. A favorable vote at a town meeting would be necessary to make the funds available during this fiscal year. “The best we can do,” said Sconyers, “is say to the Board of Education that it’s the consensus of the Board of Finance to go ahead with this project.”

The general sentiment of the board was favorable. “It’s cheap,” said Keith Harvill. “I mean $61,000 is not a lot of money,” adding, “that’s not something I should say on camera.” He revised his statement to say that the town would receive good value for its $61,000. A different design, drawn up by another architectural firm, had come in at an estimated cost of $180,000.

Sconyers summed up the deliberations by telling Iacobelli, “I think that you’re safe in making the application, knowing that if you get the grant we’ll ask the selectmen to have a town meeting to appropriate the rest of the money.”