Reprinted from The Trumbull Times © Copyright 2009
October 1, 2009

By Donald Eng

Long-term planning, technology upgrades and full-day kindergarten are the highlights of an education improvement plan laid out by Timothy Herbst on Monday.

Herbst, the Republican candidate for first selectman, criticized his opponent, First Selectman Raymond Baldwin, for "pursuing expensive projects that require excessive spending without a long-term plan to address the needs of our school system."

In particular, Herbst singled out the free-standing swimming pool that was originally part of the Trumbull High renovation project. Town officials shelved the pool after the state announced it would not reimburse the town for any of the estimated $7 million the pool would have cost.

"A swimming pool is a nice amenity," Herbst said. "However, I would not support the construction of a $7 million swimming pool before we joined our surrounding communities in offering full-day kindergarten."

Herbst said research has shown that early intervention is key to children’s development.

"Identifying children's needs at an early age fosters a more productive educational experience," he said. "Trumbull’s surrounding communities have recognized its importance and provide this opportunity."

The key obstacles to such a program are cost and space, but Herbst said adding full-day kindergarten is affordable. Full-day programs would eliminate the need to run school buses twice a day, he said. Also, school enrollment projections show a decline in student population over the next few years.

"To do full-day kindergarten would require about 24 classrooms, assuming 400-500 students," he said. "Some administrations have recommended using the Princeton Model, splitting schools into grades K-2 and 3-5, or moving fifth-grade classes to the middle schools. I think all these options need to be on the table."

Herbst also cited the need for a capital improvement plan for all schools in town.

"While Trumbull High will be renovated, there are seven elementary schools that are older and in need of renovation," he said. "Knowing how much you can afford requires planning ahead."

Other facets of Herbst’s plan for the schools included increasing use of technology in the classrooms and a sharper focus on finding cost saving efficiencies in the school budget, including energy use and operational efficiency.

A first selectman has limited control of the school budget and virtually no authority in the day-to-day operation of the school system. However, Herbst said he thought public support for such programs, as evidenced by election results, would be key in enacting them.

"All a first selectman does is articulate a vision," he said. "The school superintendent executes the programs that the Board of Education prioritizes. Up to now, these have not been priorities."