Clarify and Contextualize
Having chaired the Tri-Board School Facilities Working Group, I want to clarify and contextualize the proposed Madison Schools Renewal Plan.
The previously adopted $100 million capital maintenance plan is a low-value-added proposition. Adopted after the failed school referendum of 2017, this plan provides a road map for the next 10 to 13 years of required repairs and maintenance for the existing five schools. It doesn’t address energy efficiencies or overdue educational environment updates. The Tri-Board Working Group met for seven months with the charge of developing a fiscally responsible alternative.
The working group considered multiple school configurations and associated costs. We were guided in our efforts by community members who attended forums and conversations with realtors and community members who attended our weekly meetings. With this input and in consultation with Colliers International, we focused on two alternatives that were presented to the members of all three elected town boards. Ultimately, a single plan (www.madison.k12.ct.us/district/renewal) received unanimous bipartisan support from the Board of Education on Sept. 25and will likely come to referendum in May 2020.
The construction cost of this proposed four-school alternative is estimated at roughly $85 million. There will also be another $44 million required for repairs and maintenance that were part of the original capital plan for a total estimated cost of roughly $129 million. This alternative creates schools configured for 21st-century learning environments and provides community space for performing arts, enhanced security features, and lower operational costs.
It must be emphasized that should this referendum fail, the obligation of $100 million of required maintenance remains. Arguments in the name of fiscal responsibility must include this in their calculus. The additional $29 million investment in schools will be foundational in drawing new families to Madison—badly needed for Madison’s long-term tax stability.
Kirk Barneby
Madison
Republican Kirk Barneby serves on the Board of Education.