Madison BOE Postpones Decision on School Utilization Study
With Madison at risk to possibly lose $1.5 million in Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant money, the Board of Education (BOE) has decided to press pause on making a decision on a school utilization study, citing concerns over the state of the budget.
The discussion about a long-term plan for Madison’s public school facilities began a few years ago due to growing concerns over declining enrollment, the age of the district’s buildings, and the need to ensure the buildings could support the structural vision of the district.
The board has been considering three options: maintaining a six-school model, a five-school model in which one elementary school would be closed, and a four-school model in which all three current elementary schools would be closed and a new, pre-K to 2 school would be built.
The board was expected to make a decision on an option this June, but BOE Chair Jean Fitzgerald said the current budget disruption forced them to reconsider.
“We thought it would be prudent of us to hold off on making a decision on the school utilization study,” she said. “What we decided was right now it would be irresponsible of us to make a decision or recommendation that would cost the taxpayers more money without knowing what the state ECS funding would be.”
While the board has decided to hold off on making a decision, Fitzgerald said they are in no way dropping the study.
“We can’t abandon the study completely, because our declining enrollment and our aging facilities need to be addressed,” she said. “This is just a pause in the timeline. we are not looking to wait years before we look at it again, but we have to wait now until we see what those [ECS] funds are. There are so many moving parts right now, so we just felt it is not responsible right now until we get this piece settled and until we know to the best of our ability what is going on.”
The next step in the process would have been to look at planning and engineering, a phase for which the board had set aside funds, Fitzgerald said.
“We would have gone to the planning and engineering stage to get exact numbers, so that money is still earmarked,” she said. “It is still waiting for us...it is not going to impact the cost of anything because we have the money there.”
Fitzgerald said she did not know when the board will resume the project.
“I would say our hope is within the year, but we don’t know how long this is going to go with the state,” she said. “It is not just a matter of getting an answer from the state. We then need to assess the ripple effect from what that number is and we want to be solid with our budgeting before we add any kind of proposal to the town that could possibly result in debt for the town.”
As state legislators struggle to balance the state budget, it’s not clear when ECS funding will be finalized for the upcoming fiscal year, but many local officials are speculating that a reduction in ECS funding could be the new normal for Madison over the next few years. Superintendent of Schools Tom Scarice said the board wants to have a clear understanding of state funding before moving forward.
“We want to be responsible and have a long term plan, but also in that long-term plan knowing what state funding might look like,” he said. “There is a good chance [funds] may dry up so we want to make sure when we do the study that we are mindful going forward.”
As the town works to finalize an adjusted budget for referendum on Tuesday, May 24, First Selectman Tom Banisch said he appreciated the BOE stepping back from the issue for now.
“There are just too many questions that are unanswered at this point,” he said.