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Region 12 board reviews preliminary three‑town school facilities survey; some members seek review of questions
Summary
The board discussed an 18‑member intermunicipal committee’s preliminary SurveyMonkey questionnaire and a 2,500‑postcard outreach to all three towns to gauge community views before commissioning engineering estimates; some members asked for the full board to review survey questions before public release.
At the organizational meeting, board members reviewed a preliminary intermunicipal committee survey intended to take a "dipstick" of community sentiment in the three towns served by Regional School District 12 before any engineering or cost estimates are commissioned.
The chair said the committee — 18 people including first selectmen, principals and community members — designed the SurveyMonkey questionnaire and that 2,500 postcards with a QR code will be mailed to prompt responses. "It's just taking a dipstick to then decide what we're doing next," the chair said, describing the survey as a preliminary step, not a decision.
Several board members pushed for more board involvement before public release. One member said it would have been helpful for "the rest of the board" to see the questions before they went out so members could answer constituent questions accurately. Committee members and others responding said the survey is preliminary, that the committee has town buy‑in, and that no dollars or consultant contracts will be approved on the basis of this initial outreach.
The chair and committee emphasized the survey will ask respondents to identify their town and whether they are a parent or community member, and said the questionnaire is intended to inform the scope of future work (for example, whether to pursue plans for one or three schools). The chair said postcards and senior‑center assistance will be used to increase participation.
Why it matters: The survey could shape whether the district seeks engineering plans for multiple schools, or pursues a more limited set of renovations. Board members are concerned about transparency, timing and how the board will use results to recommend spending or consulting contracts.
What’s next: The chair said postcards have been ordered and the survey should be distributed imminently; committee members said the board will receive results and recommendations before any contracting or expenditure decisions are made.
