Press Conference Letter April 18, 2007

Towns of Bridgewater and Roxbury

Note: Read the "District Plan" following this letter!

April 18, 2007




Letter to the Region 12 Board of Education and the Press:



Forty years ago, the towns of Washington, Roxbury and Bridgewater, pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes, Section 10-39 et. seq., formed a Temporary Regional School Study Committee (Committee) which supported the feasibility and desirability of establishing a Regional School District, and in accordance with the statute, in its findings stated that "the lower elementary grades, K through 5, will remain in their respective home town schools".

As required by statute, the Committee's written report and findings (Educational Plan) was submitted to and approved by the State Board of Education. Again, as required by statute, the Certified Educational Plan was sent to the three towns, public hearings held, and then adopted by a majority vote in each of the towns by referendum. For passage and creation of the Regional School District, the statute, section 10-45, required the affirmative vote of each of the three towns.

The presentation of the proposal on the voting machines for the referendum read
"Shall the Town of join with the following named towns ,
, in the establishment of a Regional School District with the schools located in the towns of Bridgewater, Roxbury, and Washington, (emphasis supplied), for the purpose of providing the necessary facilities and administering grades K through 12 of the public schools."

The Committee report explicitly acknowledged that the "Regional Board is bound ... by the broad provisions outlined in the referendum proposal..."

Continuing lower elementary grade schools in each town was a real, substantive, essential and fundamental element of the Committee's report and findings, and was embodied in the provisions of the referendum proposal. The towns' voters relied on that fundamental condition in approving the creation of the Regional School District.

In order for the Educational Plan for the creation of the Regional School District adopted pursuant to Connecticut General Statute, section 10-45, to be changed, the Educational Plan must be formally amended in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes, Section 10-47(c). For your ease of reference, we have enclosed a copy of Connecticut General Statutes, section 10-47(c).

In order for an educational plan to be amended, section 10-47(c) requires that the Board of Education submit a request and report on the proposed amendment to the State Board of Education, including the question to be presented to the voters, with copies to the towns, which must then hold a public hearing. Subsequently, the proposed amendment must be submitted to referenda, and to pass, must be approved by a majority vote in each of the three towns.

Replacing the elementary schools located in each of the three towns since the formation of the Regional School District some forty years ago, with one (1) consolidated elementary school in one of the towns, is such a material, substantial, profound and fundamental change to the original approved Educational Plan, that, before any other funds are expended on the consolidation concept, the Educational Plan must be amended in accordance with section 10-47(c). This position is squarely and solidly supported by the State Supreme Court Decision of Atwood vs. Regional School District No.15 et al, 169 Conn. 613. (1975) Also, for your ease of reference, we have enclosed a copy of the Atwood case.

Section 10-47 (c), up to now, has not been part of the public dialogue. Now, all of us, the public, are aware of section 10-47(c), and its applicability, and we will ensure that all of its requirements and provisions are followed and adhered to. The Towns of Bridgewater and Roxbury, pursuant to the authority granted to them by Section 10-47(c), formally and hereby do, request amendment of the Educational Plan and expect the Board of Education to immediately perform the actions set forth in that Statute.

Further the Towns of Bridgewater and Roxbury inform you that they will respectfully refuse to notice a referendum on your consolidation of elementary schools proposal as requested, unless and until you follow the mandates of Section 10-47(c), and each of the three towns has agreed by a plurality of those voting in a referendum to amend the existing Educational Plan by replacing the three existing elementary schools with one consolidated elementary school. Good conscience, fairness and the law requires no less. Such a profound change screams out for the approval of each and every town member of the school district. Bridgewater and Roxbury are protecting the rights of the citizens of the three towns of the district by imploring you to follow the dictates of Section 10-47(c).

The fact that you, the Board of Education, has expended tens of thousands of tax dollars over several years on a consolidation project before following the requirements of Section 10-47(c) and amending the Educational Plan will be the subject of future debate.

Respectfully signing for the Board of Selectmen,


William T. Stuart ..................Barbara Henry
Bridgewater...........................Roxbury


District 12 Plan - (Incorporated from the original Regional School Study Committee)


The recommendation • • •

The Temporary Regional School Study Committee recommends

a Regional School District consi sting of :
* The towns of Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington
* To i nclude grades K through 12
* Organized on an elementary, middle school and high school
basis
* Elementary grades K-5 to remain in their present home
town schools
* Middle school for grades 6- 8 to be housed initially in
the present Washington High School facility
* Construction of a 9-12 high school in a central locati on
within the distri ct.

******

The three-town Temporary Regional School Study Committee
was appointed at town meetings held in Bridgewater , Roxbury and
Washington on Apri l 28 , 1967. A negative vote by the town of
Sherman at the referendum held April 14 on the regional proposal
of the previous five-town Temporary Regional School Study Com-
mittee necessitated the formation of the new study group. The
other three towns voted overwhelmingly in favor of the previou s
regional proposal .

The new committee 's recommendation to form a K-12 regional
school district consisting of the t owns of Bridgewater, Roxbury
and Washington was the original recommendation of the five-t own
Temporary Regional School Study Committee, as voted and announced
at a meeting held in Bridgewater last September. This committee
also prepared an outline of the suggested program and facilities
for a three-town district, as well as estimates of enrollments
and costs. Then, at the urgent request of the committee members
from Sherman, the committee changed its recommendation to include
that town in the proposed region.

The new three-town committee has availed itself of the
research developed by the previous study group. This material
has been updated and revised, of course, in keeping with developments
which have occurred since the completion of the previous study.


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