Last week Wilton mom Kim West launched an online petition asking First Selectman Bill Brennan to support reopening the shuttered “On School Road” preschool program. Now, West said Wilton’s top official has agreed to meet with parents upset by the school’s closing, on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
West knows, however, it may not be the easiest of meetings.
“I spoke to him [by phone] on Friday, and things did get tense. Some things he mentioned—‘14 other places in town for kids to go to preschool, the Goddard School is coming, there are issues with the building’—I think he wasn’t happy. I don’t think he understands the depth of the program, and I think there’s another agenda at play for the building that we’re not aware of,” West said.
As of press time late Monday evening, the Change.org petition had received 61 signatures. West is hoping more people sign it and that it has an impact.
“Based on what he told me Friday I think we’re fighting a losing battle, but at least we can make it clear that there are plenty of people who feel the same way.”
The program, based at Comstock Community Center and run by school director “Miss Sharon” Cowley and the Wilton’s Parks and Recreation Department, was widely loved in the community for its flexibility, affordability and creative curriculum. The program was cancelled one week before its scheduled Sept. 3 first-day-of-school after the State Department of Public Health notified the town that it could not operate the toddler program without a license.
Not only were many parents frustrated that they received little notice before the school closed to find alternate plans for preschool and childcare, they don’t understand why the town isn’t doing everything in its power to reopen the program as it existed.
“[Brennan’s] other comment was, ‘We don’t want to get involved with the State.’ If there are 14 other programs in town like you’re telling me, it can’t be that hard to work with the state and get something done. Either you really want to have a strong community center and a good Parks & Rec program, and support it, or you don’t. And if you don’t then people need to know about it, and see how they feel about that. There’s going to be a lot of emotion about it, for sure. A lot of parents have expressed a desire to go to the meeting,” West said.
Calls for direct comment from the Selectman’s office weren’t returned; however, Brennan issued a statement at Monday evening’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting, linking his stance on “On School Road” to the planned renovation of Comstock. [The entire statement is posted below, at the end of this article.] In part, Brennan’s statement said:
“Because the Comstock building presents many significant maintenance and structural issues, the Town recognizes that there will be future interruptions to the recreation programs that have been offered at this facility in the past. The ‘On School Road’ program, which had to be discontinued by order of the CT Department of Public Health, falls into this category and will not be re-established for the foreseeable future for safety and other reasons associated with the planned renovation process.”
Further confusing for parents is that there is support for the program from Parks & Rec. The department’s director Steve Pierce told GOOD Morning Wilton he thought it would be good to do whatever it takes to keep the program, or something very similar, because it met the needs of the community.
“The goal of the department and the [Parks & Rec] commission had always been to seek licensure for that facility, when we found out that it was potentially needing licensure. We were dealing with issues in the building that probably would not have let us pass the licensure so we were hoping to get beyond that. It was the hope of the department and the commission that once the roof was completed and that they were redoing the space, that it would be included in the architectural specs for upgrading the facility, that yes, we would move forward with licensure.”
When West met with Pierce last week, she came away with the understanding that there was departmental support for Miss Sharon’s program. “When I spoke to Steve he was very in favor of having the program for so many reasons. This is a profitable program that not only covered the costs of Sharon and her teachers, but it helped them cover the costs of programs that weren’t profitable, like some for the seniors. There are so many reasons beyond just the school.”
Pierce acknowledged the impact the school’s closure had on everyone. “When you run a program and it’s got the support of the community and there are people who enjoy the program, that certainly makes you feel good. When the program is cut short, it doesn’t make you feel good for those involved, including instructors, staff, and participants. We loved having those kids come into the building, they’d stop in our offices and talk to the staff, so it was really nice having them in the building. Of course it was disappointing when it was closed down.”
West said it’s not just the parents who were disappointed—the kids have taken it hard too.
“My daughter is in another school now, but she keeps asking me when she gets to go back to her ‘real school.’ She’s got friends there, even at 2-years-old, and she wants to see Sophie and Will and Phoebe and all the other kids she made friends with.”
West is also upset about the teachers who lost their jobs. “You’ve also got 10-11 teachers who are out of work now. How is that right? It’s not.”
She added that it’s a difficult situation for everyone involved, with apparent differences of opinion as well as fears of repercussions for speaking out.
“Right now Sharon’s trying to survive and not make too many waves. She doesn’t want the [few, remaining] art classes there pulled from her too. I feel bad for Steve, he’s been put in a tough position. I think he sees the value of the program and his boss does not. He’s told people that. I’m hoping there are no repercussions on him for this. I’ve spoken with parents who are afraid to speak out because they don’t want it to come back on them, or if [Brennan] will hold a grudge, and that’s a terrible way to feel.”
West is holding out hopes that the meeting will demonstrate to the First Selectman how much is riding on reinstating the program–and that he’ll reconsider.
“He’s done a lot of good things for the town, I’m not taking that away from him, but this is a program that just is so important. I don’t’ want anyone to get hurt—there’s already a lot of people who have been hurt, and we should try to do something about it. I don’t want to get hurt either. But Sharon and those teachers did the best they possibly could do for me and my girls at all times. They went above and beyond all the time, and it’s the least I can do to do my best for them, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
She’s also hoping that more residents—even those whose children have aged out of the program and others who want to see the program reinstated—will add their names to the petition, to let Town Hall know what Wilton stands to lose.
“I want to show that there are taxpayers in town that are supportive of the program. I think that’s the best thing they can do, and then we’ll go from there.”
BB has other plans for Comstock. I think he wants to add space at the Town Hall complex. If he decides to rebuild Town Hall (second story) he has to temporarily relocate staff somewhere (Comstock) if he decides to repurpose the Police building, he needs to either move the police to a renovated Comstock or build a new facility for them (where?).
I recall, while he was on the BOF, he advocated bonding $500,000 for engineering studies of Town Hall, Comstock and other spaces. Obviously, nothing came of it and he wasted the money….one of his addictions I suppose.
I also wonder if there is a hidden agenda in his expansion of sewer, water and natural gas lines to the edge of the Notre Dame motherhouse…