Members of the Coventry School Committee voted 3-1 Tuesday night in favor of not opening the vacant Oak Haven Elementary School as an early learning center next school year.
If utilized as proposed, the Oak Haven Early Learning Center, would have accommodated the majority of Coventry's Pre-K and Kindergarten students, with the exception of those from Western Coventry due to busing constraints. The main purpose for opening the Center was to create improved teaching environments in the form of additional instruction space as well as the ability to create computer labs in several schools, allowing the district to meet the ever-evolving state and federal technology standards and requirements.
In 2009, the school was closed as a cost-saving measure and has since been used for storage and as an occasional polling place for District 4 voters during elections, however due to its vacancy for the past several years, the building requires minor updates for security, fire safety, and compatibility with American Disability Act (ADA) standards. In Coventry's fiscal 2014 budget, to be voted on by taxpayers on June 11, the Town Council allocated $100,000 to the school department to open and operate the school as an early learning center for the 2014-2015 school year. However, the Council could not guarantee continued funding in the future - causing uncertainty in regards to whether or not the Center's operations would be sustainable going forward.
Because of this fact, Committee members have been reconsidering the substantial undertaking for several weeks leading up to Tuesday's decision.
"I was very clear during budget sessions that unless the funds would be part of our operating budget going forward, we couldn't in good conscience open Oak Haven if there's no guarantee that the money is going to be there the next year," said Superintendent Michael Almeida during a May 14 discussion.
"I am recommending at this time that we do not move forward with opening Oak Haven next year because the commitment is for one year only," he continued. "I was hoping that it would play out differently, but it just wouldn't be fiscally responsible to the taxpayer to move forward at this time."
In recent months, the argument has been made that regardless of what grade levels the school department intended to place at Oak Haven, the school will need to be reopened in the near future. This mindset exists due to the upcoming addition of several housing and apartment developments that may raise student enrollment within the district which is already at or near capacity in many classrooms. One such development nearing completion exists at Anthony Mill, located less than one mile from the school.
Committee member Frank Hyde, who cast the dissenting vote against not opening Oak Haven, questioned why a percentage of impact fees received by the Town from the renovation of Anthony Mill couldn't be used to reopen the school as the two are located so close to one another, in an area where such funds could legally be utilized.
"The mill is going to impact that immediate area and we have a provision that would allow us to bring some revenue into Oak Haven School," he said. "Why that isn't being done specifically, I can't answer that."
Chairperson Kathy Patenaude explained that the school department will have to wait to see how enrollment numbers are affected by the increase in housing, saying that taxpayers will want significant proof that it is imperative to reopen the school before approving funding to do so.
"We need to make the conservative decision tonight," said Patenuade. "We'd love to see Oak Haven open, but we would need at least $100,000 a year going forward to run the school as an early learning center. If we continue to grow our student population, sooner or later the community will see that we need to reopen the school in some way, but right now the budget has already been set."
"I agree that eventually we do need to reopen Oak Haven, but under different circumstances," said Vice-Chair Judi Liner. "By voting against opening it this year, doesn't mean that it's off the table permanently."
"It would be very disruptive to students, teachers and parents in the community to move ahead without guaranteed funding," said member Ann Dickson. "I'm not ready to move in that direction without knowing what's going to happen next."
"We will simply not accept the $100,000 if it's not going to be continued," Patenaude concluded.
The $100,000 in question must now be reallocated within the Town's fiscal 2014 budget and voted on by taxpayers at the June 11 Financial Town Meeting.