SOUTHINGTON — As school board members plan to renovate aging elementary schools, they are also considering a host of redistricting options that include closing Flanders School.
Board of Education members said they are a long way from determining the future of any schools and are just gathering information on enrollment projections, building utilization rates and class sizes.
Consultant Milone & MacBroom presented its findings and suggested six redistricting scenarios at the Thursday school board meeting. Proposals included redistricting elementary schools, closing Flanders and redistributing students to surrounding schools and redistricting the middle schools.
School board Chairman Brian Goralski said the information and scenarios are just a starting point.
“None of those models will be the final product,” he said.
Goralski hopes to have more information to the public and town officials this fall.
Flanders and Kelley schools have never been renovated and Derynoski hasn’t been significantly renovated since 1992. Before spending money on upgrades, Goralski said it is important to understand the district’s needs.
The study identified a 90 percent building utilization rate as ideal. Milone & MacBroom found that among the schools the district plans to renovate, Derynoski, Hatton and Strong had the most underutilized space while Thalberg, Plantsville and Kelley had the least. The study recommended shifting students to under-utilized schools.
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(c) Record-Journal, 2019