New London School bond referendum falls short again

NEW LONDON ? Fourteen months did not make a lot of difference in New London regarding sentiments on a $3.6 million school bond issue for infrastructure improvements, primarily at Clark Elementary School.

On Tuesday, voters once again turned down the measure. Although more voted for the measure (403-399), the referendum needed a 60-percent approval rating for passage. Tuesday?s vote was strikingly similar to the vote on Dec. 7, 2010, the first time the referendum was offered. In that election, 311 voted affirmatively and 307 voted no to the ballot question.

The only difference in Tuesday?s vote was the turnout with 802, or 36 percent of the district?s 2,211 eligible voters casting ballot. With 802 votes cast, 482 yes votes would have been needed for passage.

The major ticket item in the proposal was the addition of a competition-sized gym at Clark Elementary. This gym would have two locker rooms and enough seating to hold a full assembly of students and staff. The current gym would have been converted into a media center and computer lab, enabling the current library/media center and computer to become additional classroom space.

Other changes, included in the measure, to Clark Elementary was an expanded cafeteria and the addition of a circulation hallway, connecting the east-to-west hallways in the elementary school. Currently, to get to the northernmost classrooms in Clark Elementary, students must cut through other classrooms, disrupting classes that are in session. Renovations were also planned in the middle/high school updating several areas.

The family and consumer science room would have been gutted and updated, keeping four kitchen stations and increasing the number of sewing tables to 16 machines, with a work table station in the center. There would have been a storage room added along with a second exit from the room.

Updates were also planned for the White Hall, adding water and sewer to the concession area and doubling the service space.

The media center was to be renovated, including the addition of a workroom for small groups to work in teams.

Outside of the school buildings, a parking lot servicing the new gym would have been located just north of Clark Elementary, where the tennis courts currently are. There would be a six-foot fence with a gate added to the east of the parking lot.

At the football field, all of the bleachers would have been brought to the west side of field. A new announcers/concession stand would be built, and there will be a four-foot security fence around the field. ­­

These projects, commonly known as Tier II, would have been funded by a 20-year general obligation bond, which is paid for through property tax (as opposed to the current Tier I projects, which are being funded by sales tax). If passed, the work would have begun in the fall.

New London Superintendent Chuck Reighard said he was disapponted by the vote and noted it was up to the school board to determine the next step.

?I was surprised we didn?t narrow the gap (more yes votes the time),? Reighard said. ?I would have been ecstatic if it could have passed, but I did expect the gap to be narrowed.

?It is up to the board to determine what next, that is not my decision, and I would expect those conversations to begin soon. I thought we had a very good plan.?