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School leaders pause Goodwin summer enrichment as asbestos abatement and budget pressures converge
Summary
District staff told the board that required asbestos abatement at Goodwin School this summer means students cannot occupy the building during the work; as a result, the district expects to pause the Goodwin summer enrichment program while exploring alternate providers and savings, and staff flagged about $200,000 in program costs and potential state funding changes.
The Old Saybrook Board of Education was told on Feb. 12 that asbestos abatement scheduled at Goodwin School will prevent students from using the building during remediation, forcing the district to pause its Goodwin summer enrichment program for the coming summer and notify families immediately.
Pam, chair of the budget and fiscal committee, said the abatement legally prohibits students under 18 from being in the building during the work and that the district must weigh both the timing of remediation and program costs. “When you do asbestos abatement you can't have students under the age of 18 in,” she said, and staff noted the combined financial component for running the enrichment program is “about $200,000.”
Why it matters: The enrichment program provides summer options for families and work opportunities for staff; a pause will require families to find other child-care or enrichment options and may increase demand on community providers. Board members asked whether enrichment could be moved to another building and were told mandated programs (for special education, extended school year, credit recovery) would limit available space and that moving all enrichment programming would be difficult.
District staff also reviewed related budget pressures. Presenters warned that proposed shifts in state funding will not be fully known until the legislature finishes deliberations, and they singled out a cited example that would redirect $12 million at the state level and a roughly $60,000 local magnet tuition impact included in the district’s planning. Staff said they are reviewing budget requests for possible savings and will communicate options to families as soon as possible.
Board members pressed for clarity on alternatives and underscored the short timeline: staff will send a notice to families and help connect households to other providers, such as YMCA programs. The board asked staff to continue exploring options to reduce costs and to report back with fiscal committee recommendations as the budget process proceeds.
Next steps: Staff said a public notice to families was expected to go out the following day with more details; the budget and fiscal committee will continue meeting as needed and give updates to the full board.
