As Groton Referendum Nears, An Emotional Battle Intensifies

At the end of the last Representative Town Meeting, member Tim Plungis asked to have a word with the school superintendent.

Plungis wanted figures on the cost of the new middle school athletic field that’s part of the $133 million proposed school construction project.

Superintendent Paul Kadri said he didn’t know why Plungis would ask, because he’d say what he wanted in his next anti-school brochure anyway.

“Are you calling me a liar?” Plungis shot back, raising his voice. “Are you calling me a liar!?”

The $133 million bonding ordinance goes before voters in a referendum May 2, and in the last few weeks, the debate has turned increasingly tense, emotional and personal.

Robert Warn, a member of the Representative Town Meeting, said he he did not see the exchange, but believes the intensity in Groton mirrors what’s happening at the state and national levels. Government spending is rising, but people's incomes are not, he said.

 “Every year, people are getting more and more reluctant to (see) these government mechanisms. . . I think you’re seeing a lot of that. 'Enough is enough. (We) don’t have any money,'” he said.

The school construction plan would build a new middle school for seventh and eighth graders at the site of the current Claude Chester Elementary School, and redistrict students so they attend one school in those grades. West Side Middle School and S.B. Butler Elementary would be converted into early childhood centers. Fitch Middle School and Pleasant Valley Elementary School would close. The remaining elementary schools would serve students in second through sixth grades. 

Kadri said he spoke to the governor Thursday and asked him to review the plan, and may receive a response as early as today. Kadri specifically asked Gov. Dannel Malloy to confirm the amount of state reimbursement for new school construction and the state's views on early childhood education programs.

The answers could play a role in the debate because part of the argument for building schools now is timing - Groton would receive an expected 66 percent in state reimbursement for new school construction, a figure expected to fall in the future.

In addition, if the state is leaning toward a focus on early childhood education, supporters of the plan could more readily argue that an investment in kindergarten and pre-kindergarten in Groton is a preemptive move.

Kadri said the school department also hired an independent auditor to review figures and confirm savings the plan would generate in case they are challenged by opponents.

Warn said the state’s financial difficulty is tied to local spending, so the argument that state reimbursement pays for the plan is invalid.

“Treating the state subsidy like it’s someone’s else’s money is a selfish argument and not an honest evaluation of the project,” he said. “There isn’t like a magic hole in the ground in Hartford where all this money comes from. Either the project is worth it, or it isn’t.”

During a recent Representative Town Meeting, Ward told his colleagues that one of his neighbors in Mystic called him to say they were subjected to a 20-minute sales pitch about the school construction plan when they registered their child for kindergarten.

“They were uncomfortable,” he said.

Kadri said parents are provided basic information about the plan, so they are familiar with it, and that's the extent of it.

After the meeting ended, a different member of Representative Town Meeting called Kadri to speak about another issue, and the debate got personal.

Plungis asked the superintendent for figures on the middle school athletic field and the two exchanged words. Plungis began raising his voice, enough that others turned to look.

He said later that he was upset because Kadri asked him how much he pays in property taxes in Groton.

Plungis is 23 years old and recently got his own apartment. He said he felt the comment was disrespectful and related to his age.

Kadri said that he brought it up because his office received a request from one of Plungis’ friends asking for information including a list of what property Kadri owns in Groton.

He said he believed it would be used as a political weapon to imply that he’s not qualified to recommend a project that would cost taxpayers money. Kadri owns property in Groton and in another state.

During other public meetings, Kadri has been confronted over whether he is using personal or school time to speak about the project. He has taken days off to speak to voters about the school plan because he said he wants them to be informed.

He said he believes opposition is coming from a small, vocal group rather than the masses.

“I’m not seeing the fury among the populous,” he said. 

Plungis said voters are becoming more engaged because they are concerned.

“There’s job uncertainty and just life uncertainty," he said.  "They’re concerned about paying their utility bill, about paying for the increasing cost of gas. . . They see spending at the federal level and the state level and they’re overwhelmed. People get scared.”

A group of residents recently organized a Political Action Committee opposing the ordinance.

Andrew Parrella, chairman of the committee Friends For Affordable Education, said members of the group oppose the project for different reasons - they want to preserve their neighborhood schools or they believe it's not the right time to invest in early childhood programs.

On a more basic level, they don’t feel empowered, he said.

“This is very contentious because it’s a small town, but it’s widespread because Connecticut is a small state,” he said. “You’re seeing Groton going through this because of what’s going on at the state level and the federal level.”

He said the group plans to stay around after the referendum is over and wants to be part of the discussion with the school department.

 “Whether (the referendum) goes up or down, we want to work with them,” he said.  “We want to show good faith. We’re not their enemies.”