Laura Young: CREC's Reggio Magnet School Creates Opportunity

On Oct. 18, the Planning and Zoning Commission will discuss Capitol Region Education Council special exception and site plan applications to build a on the Avon Cider Mill propery on Waterville Road.

The meeting, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Avon Senior Center, will include a public hearing for people to voice their perspectives on the application.

Avon parent Laura Young, vice president of the Avon High School PTO and board secretary for the Avon Land Trust, gave Patch permission to publish the following opinion piece that she wrote to the Planning and Zoning Commission. She expresses her support for the Reggio Magnet School of the Arts building proposal to move it from its current Fisher Drive location to 59 Waterville Road.

Dear Chairman Starr and members of the town Planning and Zoning Commission,

An extraordinary opportunity for the Farmington Valley and in particular, the town of Avon is within your grasp – and that is finding a permanent site for the Reggio Magnet School of the Arts.  Doing so would be taking a critical step in helping reduce racial and socioeconomic isolation for Connecticut children who are relying on local government leaders to step up and recognize the value of having an interdistrict magnet school in their community. Locating the school here would also bring tremendous resources to the town in the form of collaboration between the Capital Education Region Council (CREC) and the Avon Public Schools (APS). As a resident who is passionate about public education, land use and the quality of life in this community, I urge you to recognize the value of the Reggio Magnet School and the ways in which it will enhance the character and design of our town.

If the school is built here, Avon children, along with their same age peers from Hartford and neighboring towns such as Simsbury, Farmington, Bristol, Burlington and Winsted among others, would develop a lifelong love of learning based on the Reggio Emilia curriculum, a world renowned educational philosophy that emphasizes principles of respect, responsibility and community through exploration and discovery. Additionally our local schools, as well as residents of all ages would be able to use public facilities including a soccer field, gymnasium, outdoor amphitheater, classrooms and reception center. Locating Reggio here would complement our notably excellent school system by providing innovative curriculum and professional development, offering access to after-school and summer programs, generating additional revenue for Avon Public Schools through purchase of food services, as well as creating job opportunities.

A magnet school by definition is a public elementary or secondary school that provides unique or specialized curriculum in such a way as to attract a racially diversified student body. Traditionally, magnet schools are distinct from other public schools because they offer specialized academic focuses or themes.  They are open to students outside the normal school district boundaries and are known to offer rigorous, yet competitive, programs to attract high caliber students who enroll voluntarily. For the last three years, the Reggio school has rented space here in town. However, due to increased enrollment projections a larger, permanent facility is needed. The proposal on Waterville Road would be for a facility that would accommodate approximately 450 students. 

From having attended public meetings it appears as though one of the key objections to locating a school on Waterville Road is increased traffic.  In response, CREC has stated that it would comply with recommendations made in a traffic study, by the town engineer and/or by the State Department of Transportation, including installation of a traffic light and turning lanes.  Another area of concern brought to the commission’s attention during public meetings is increased congestion and long-term maintenance on Avonwood Road. CREC has offered to renovate to the town engineer’s specifications, a portion of the road and has proposed a collaborative effort with nearby residents to fund ongoing, road maintenance and related upgrades. If the commission has specific traffic or road condition concerns related to construction of a school at the Waterville site, hopefully you will make appropriate recommendations. 

One additional concern which has been voiced publically is that having the school in Avon will cost residents dearly, which is a fact that is, quite simply, wrong. The cost to for each Avon student who attends Reggio is about $3,740, as compared to the estimated cost of about $11,000 per pupil for students who attend Avon Public Schools. If Reggio were to operate elsewhere, Avon would pay the exact same amount for students as if the school were built here. Costs associated with building and operating the school would be paid for entirely by the State and by CREC – not by local taxpayers no matter where it exists. The estimated cost of commercial taxes that the town would have to forgo annually on the Waterville Road property would be about $20,000. Currently, there are 28 Avon children enrolled at Reggio. This level of participation amounts to just over $200,000 per year in cost savings to the district. In my opinion, the value of a new, state-of-the-art magnet school and the saving associated with local enrollment far outweighs any concern over lost tax revenue.

According to the Town of Avon Master Plan, “Avon’s character is defined by its geographic setting and how land is used within the Town. Land use is largely dependent on the various forms of land use controls which have been in effect since 1957, as well as the historic development of the Town prior to the adoption of these Regulations.” 

In accordance with Connecticut State Statutes: Sec. 8-2, “Such regulations shall be designed to facilitate the adequate provision for transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks and other public requirements.” 

CREC has identified Avon as the most appropriate location in the Farmington Valley to operate the Reggio Magnet School of the Arts and has prepared a request for site plan approval to permit a public school with associated parking, access drives and play areas at 59 Waterville Road in an RU2A zone. 

Now is the time for the Planning and Zoning Commission to take advantage of such a worthy investment by CREC in our Town. If the Reggio Magnet School of the Arts is not constructed here, another nearby town will surely welcome the children with open arms – at a great loss to our community. 

Sincerely,

Laura R. Young, of Avon
Board Secretary, Avon Land Trust
Avon High School PTO Vice President