Pocket Redistricting Appears Imminent for Shelter Rock Elementary

It's hard to imagine more challenging times than it is right now for Danbury's Board of Education. Last night's meeting was packed wall to wall with parents, all of whom insisted that their cause is one which must be listened to, and all of which are indeed important. The reduced budget and burgeoning enrollment are mostly to blame, with no ease in sight.

 Deputy Superintendent Bill Glass gave a presentation (the presentation is in the photo gallery) that showed in a nutshell just what the district is facing, across the board. Shelter Rock parents learned that while their district is facing the most eminent enrollment challenges, about half of the third grades in the city's schools are facing the same problem.

In previous board meetings, the plan was to move Head Start and Special Education classes to another building, and to transform Mill Ridge Intermediate into a magnet middle school. However, last night's meeting gave the indication that the school may now be looked at for use as an elementary school. “Is Mill Ridge Intermediate as a magnet school now being scrapped?” wondered Richard Janelli, Vice Chair of the Board of Ed.

 Superintendent Sal Pascarella, Ed. D., proposed that the need for an elementary school may be more pressing.  “If we don't open Mill Ridge Intermediate then it would mean redistricting to sister (nearby) schools. If we don't move, then we can't educate students.”

 "The city is not going to give us money, and we are still bursting at the seams with the middle schools,” said Janelli. “I told the mayor, whatever we do, we are going to need more capital. This work with 2020 is causing procrastination and we are suffering. I think the time for concepts is over. We need some action.”

 When board member Bob Taborsak suggested that parents continue to attend all meetings, Board Chairman Irving Fox said, “We can't wait until November or December (for the final head count). We need to have a tactical plan now.”

 Fox and Janelli both received an applause from the parents for their position. Board member Kathy Molinaro suggested that it might be time to consider pocket redistricting. Pascarella agreed, but said, “We are not in a position to redistrict, but it wouldn't be that difficult. We need to give parents some time. As soon as we receive Bill's (Glass) audit numbers the second week in August, we can begin to look at this.”

Pascarella also said that if parents were interested in moving their children out of the Shelter Rock district, it was a possibility.

 Parents seemed enthusiastic about redistricting in the meeting, but outside in the hall and the parking lot, parents were reacting with tremendous concern and fear. Sheri Grossi, parent of a third grader, was very worried. “I just moved to this school district. If I have to move again, I am going to be upset. If they redistrict us, it might not be to a high performing school district.”

 Both Grossi and Suzanna Pais were students at Shelter Rock, making their ties to the school even that much deeper. Pais said, “I am very worried. We are looking at the first day of school in a few weeks, and I don't know what's going to happen.”

 Denise Ukers, who also attended the 2020 meeting two weeks ago, said, “What I really want to say to the board is that we want communication and we want to be part of the resolution or decision. I think we are being heard, and they are reacting to the parents being here. I have been reading all the back minutes to the board meetings and I see this has been talked about before. I am now more aware of what I have to do to have an effect in my child's education.”