The Democrats in the legislature in Hartford are now pushing a bill that would require smaller school districts across CT to merge to form larger units. Supposedly, this will improve education, but one has to wonder how that will happen. The district in which I live will be unaffected because it is large enough to avoid the dictates of Hartford. In more rural areas of the state, however, there will be new and huge school districts that almost assuredly will harm the quality of education. One district in Litchfield County will end up consolidating nine different current districts into one. The resulting district will be so big that it will take almost an hour and a half just to drive from one side of it to the other. If there's a central high school for the district, just think how long those kids will be on the bus each day. Is it actually helpful for a student to spend over two hours a day riding the bus? I can't imagine how that could be.
There's also the question of exactly where the schools will be consolidated and what that will cost. Hartford can mandate that six towns join together for one new district, but who pays the cost to enlarge the current schools so that they are large enough to accommodate all those pupils. Surely, the new districts will not just operate all the current schools; many will be closed. The remaining schools will have to handle much bigger populations and that means higher current construction expenses.
It seems odd that the Democrats have come forward with this proposal. It doesn't seem to serve any purpose other than to disrupt the current educational programs across the state. It won't combine wealthy districts with poorer ones for the most part. It won't foster much in the way of racial integration. It seems to nothing positive; it just serves to disrupt the status quo.
I keep looking to find a justification for this plan, but I have yet to find one that makes sense.
There's also the question of exactly where the schools will be consolidated and what that will cost. Hartford can mandate that six towns join together for one new district, but who pays the cost to enlarge the current schools so that they are large enough to accommodate all those pupils. Surely, the new districts will not just operate all the current schools; many will be closed. The remaining schools will have to handle much bigger populations and that means higher current construction expenses.
It seems odd that the Democrats have come forward with this proposal. It doesn't seem to serve any purpose other than to disrupt the current educational programs across the state. It won't combine wealthy districts with poorer ones for the most part. It won't foster much in the way of racial integration. It seems to nothing positive; it just serves to disrupt the status quo.
I keep looking to find a justification for this plan, but I have yet to find one that makes sense.
No comments:
Post a Comment