High school referendum vote is June 8
Posted on:
Monday, June 7, 2010 - 10:56am
June 8 the town will hold a referendum vote on whether or not to bond $83 million for a “renovate-as-new” overhaul of Berlin High School. All five polls will be open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
Referendum results will be posted on The Citizen website June 8 and in the June 10 edition
The renovate-as-new plan is meant to address educational inadequacies at the school — such as outdated science labs — as cited in a New England Association of Schools and Colleges report. The plan also addresses Office of Civil Rights facility violations that an inspection uncovered.
The cost of construction would be reduced by state aid that would bring the town’s share to about $58 million. The plan won a unanimous vote from the Board of Education, the Public Building Commission and the Town Council. However, Republican council members, David Evans and Kari Drost later said they voted for the project in order to move it forward for a vote by the public, not as an endorsement of the plan. The bond item was brought forward for a public vote due to a petitioning effort initiated by resident John Kilian.
Mayor Adam Salina, Public Works Director Art Simonian, BOE president Gary Brochu and other officials have said that the money must be appropriated at this time, before a June 30 state application filing deadline, to ensure that enough funds will be available and that the town gets the current reimbursement rate. Officials have stated that there is a large built in contingency, and that no funds will be spent beyond what is needed.
Proponents and opponents of the plan have been working to disseminate information to the public in recent weeks and, since the referendum was set, two public informational hearings were were held by the town.
Opponents of the plan, including the Republican Town Committee, say that a $25 million option would address the problems with the school. Drost and Evans have said that more time is needed to study the options and to provide the public with information.
School and town officials supporting the renovate-as-new plan say that less extensive plans are band-aids and will not prove cost-effective over time.
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