Norfolk-Colebrook Regionalization Fails
Colebrook votes strongly against
By Wiley Wood
Colebrook voters resoundingly opposed the regionalization plan that would have brought the Norfolk and Colebrook primary schools together under one roof and one regional board. The vote count was 369 no, 175 yes.
In a simultaneous referendum held in Norfolk, the measure passed by a count of 314 yes to 238 no votes.
A yes vote was needed in both towns for the new regional district to be formed.
Colebrook’s first selectman, Tom McKeon, attributed the vote to the general desire among residents to keep the school in town. “Parents and non-parents didn’t want to lose the school,” said McKeon. “There was also the negativity of the Norfolk Board of Ed, in case some of them ended up on the regional board. That counted for a lot. And school grades are higher in Colebrook and the cost per student is lower. People just didn’t see much in it for them.”
Both the Botelle School in Norfolk and the Colebrook Consolidated School will continue as before under their town-elected boards of education, with their budgets subject to approval by their town’s Board of Finance. In a regional district, a popular vote is held annually to approve the budget and requires a plurality of votes to pass.
Sue Dyer, Norfolk’s first selectman, was occupied in the days after the vote gathering the study committee’s work product from the past three years and sending it to the state Board of Education. Asked if the towns might take up the question of consolidation again, Dyer said “I don’t see it happening next year or the year after, but I could see it happening in three or four years, unless we get a sudden influx of students.”
“It’s back to square one!” said Ayerslee Denny, a Norfolk resident present when the vote was announced.
Colebrookian and SA: I am sorry if I appeared to question the quality of education provided by CCS. That was not my intent or point. My own children went to Colebrook school, had good experiences, and prospered. BUT…in my opinion, the school as a municipal enterprise is doomed. The cost of renovating the current school or building a 21st century physical plant, of paying for the administration necessary, of satisfying the growing state mandates — not to mention the cost of providing wider educational options — will inevitably outstrip the ability or willingness of the town’s taxpayers to pay. The general population growth of the town, even if it were maintained, is not reflected in the school census. There is no economy of scale in small schools, and I believe eventually they will be reorganized/regionalized by state intervention if not by towns. It is no different than the various forces that conspired to force the consolidation of schools that resulted in Colebrook “Consolidated” School many years ago.
Colebrook classroom sizes average 12-16 kids, which is ideal by most measures. I don’t know where the “6-7 kids per classroom” idea came from, but it has no basis in reality, at least in Colebrook. The population of Colebrook has been (gradually) increasing every year since 1920, and still continues.
My 3rd grader came home with a recorder and a violin yesterday. Even without those things, my kids actually enjoy going to school. By all empirical measures (test scores, etc) Colebrook Consolidated is a great school.
Colebrook pays 1/3 less per student than Norfolk does, and comes away with higher marks. This isn’t just about civic pride, it’s about good education for our kids.
TCH, the children have won! They did not want this so they wanted us as the voters to “save our school”. They even made cute banners and placed them for voters to see. The State will not step in, they have already stated it is not their place. And to say we are a failing educational endeavor is just plain rude! If this is what comes from a former or current BoE member, maybe our focus should be examining them, not the state of our school.
The above comment that Colebrook residents “saved our school” is not exactly right. As a former BoE member, I strongly believe Colebrook merely delayed the inevitable collapse of a failing educational endeavor. An inadequate physical plant, falling enrollment, rising administrative costs, and lack of taxpayer support will result in a slow, drawn-out implosion. At some point, the state Board of Ed will step in and mandate some kind of reorganization or regionalization of the many tiny local schools in the state.
I am very proud to be a Colebrook resident today! We stood together as town and saved our school!