Speaker 6 informed the board that Stratford Learning Center toured district facilities and expressed interest in renting space to run a K–8 program. The proposed arrangement would be a private operator leasing district space, reserving some seats for Farmington students and potentially reducing transportation and tuition costs associated with out-of-district placements.

Speaker 6 said the district would need to set parameters (age/sex ratios, number of reserved slots, rent and tuition arrangements) and that Stratford already operates similar agreements with neighboring districts. Board members noted many unanswered questions — enrollment counts, how many spots would be reserved for district students, whether district psychologists or staff would conduct testing, and how tuition or rent would be structured.

Why it matters: If negotiated, a leased program could bring students back into the district, lower transportation costs and possibly reduce contracted-placement spending. But it would require detailed contractual terms to protect district enrollment, open-enrollment rights and financial interests.

Next steps: Staff will gather more operational detail and draft terms for the board to consider at a subsequent meeting, including how many seats the district wants reserved and what services (testing, evaluations) would be provided by district staff.