Why school districts in Connecticut have been combining, or closing, schools

A major change could be coming to Milford schools. The district is looking to reduce the number of elementary schools to improve the student experience. It’s not the first time this has happened in our state.

Meadowside Elementary School has been a fixture in Milford for about 70 years, but its time may soon be up. The district is looking at closing it for good. One parent with a third-grader there says he’s worried about disruptions.

“There’s going to be a lot of transitions going on, and I know that can be very disruptive to a child and his development,” Richard Cudy, a parent, said.

Milford Superintendent Dr. Anna Cutaia says the district wants to reduce its elementary schools from eight to six by closing Meadowside and Calf Pen Meadow, but that wouldn’t happen for a few years.  She says it’s due to declining enrollment and the need for more modern facilities, with every elementary school built in the 50s and 60s unable to host all the programs, students, and parents may want.

“We share the gym with the lunchroom and assembly room. We have spaces that are not conducive to music instruction,” Dr. Cutaia said.

Milford is not the only district closing or combining schools. In Wallingford, the district is merging its two high schools into one to address declining enrollment there and operational costs, and in New Haven, two schools are consolidating to once again deal with fewer students in the classroom, but also because of how close they are to one another.

Declining enrollment is a statewide issue with data showing that in the 2016-17 school year, there were about 539,000 public school students, compared to this school year, where that number dropped to about 498,000.

Quinnipiac University education professor and former Branford superintendent Hamlet Hernandez says enrollment numbers and the cost of maintaining buildings are the big factors districts should consider.

“We want those dollars to go to students and not necessarily to keep buildings at 70, 80% occupancy,” he said.

Hernandez says while closing or combining schools doesn’t happen often, it does need to be considered if the town or city sees a population change. He understands it can be disruptive for students.

“They may be now on a different bus route. They may have different students that they are riding the bus with,” he said.

Parents in Milford recognize that the elementary schools need updating and say they’ll support the decision as long as their kids can learn and the district has a plan.

“All we’re concerned about is ultimately their success as a student,” Cudy said.