Advocate: School Closing Decision Delayed

Panel votes to close elementary school; decision delayed on which building
By Donna Porstner, Staff Writer --March 20, 2008

STAMFORD - The Board of Education Redistricting Committee last night voted to close an elementary school in 2009 but delayed a decision on which one for at least a month.

The move freezes a controversial plan to close Toquam Magnet Elementary School - at least for now.

The committee has been discussing whether to close Toquam when the new interdistrict magnet school opens in the Cove in 2009.

Board members agreed to the one-month delay to give Mayor Dannel Malloy time to talk to state officials about how the new school may be populated. Members were told the magnet school couldn't have a traditional attendance district, in which children are assigned to a building based on where they live.

Malloy asked members to "pause" so he could have a "broader dialogue" with the state about the new magnet school.

"He's going to be a great advocate," Board of Education Vice Chairman James Rubino said. "He's a man of great influence."

Malloy and board members were vague about what they hope to get from the state.

Members were expected to chose one of four options last night: keeping all schools open, closing Toquam and redistributing those students to their district schools, closing Toquam and moving those students to the new magnet school while retaining the curriculum, or closing Toquam and moving its students to the new school with the new environmentally themed curriculum.Ê

Instead, members voted in favor of closing an elementary school and tabled the three other options.

Because of declining enrollment and a limited budget, school officials are considering the closure of an elementary school when the new school opens. The school district is expected to lose about 700 students over the next seven years.

Closing a school would save about $5.4 million annually.

Malloy, a non-voting member of the school board, said his first choice would be to keep all schools open.

But board members said adding a 13th elementary school would necessitate cutbacks in other areas.

"I've often heard the schools ought to run in a more business-like fashion," Board of Education President Richard Freedman said. "What business people do is assess risk that could cost you dearly, and paying for a 21st school could cost us dearly."

Parents were stunned Toquam was targeted for closure because it is one of only two public elementary schools in Stamford to meet all federal No Child Left Behind standards this year without requiring remedial action. They launched a "Save Toquam" campaign and put signs with the motto on their cars and all over the city.

With redistricting, the board is trying to alter the attendance districts to ensure all schools have a similar balance of students, factoring in race and family income.

Toquam parents attending last night's meeting said they were relieved the closing has been put on hold.

"I am cautiously optimistic," parent Beth Covino said. "It still feels like limbo."

Redistricting Committee Chairwoman Susan Nabel asked Malloy to report back in four weeks so the committee could decide.

"It isn't in any of our common best interest to keep the tension going," Nabel said.

Toquam parents were thankful Malloy intervened. Had it not been for the mayor, the committee likely would have voted to close Toquam last night, said Astrid Olsen, who has two children at Toquam.

"We probably would have left here even more depressed than we are now," Olsen said.

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