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DEEP RIVER — After three hours of debate Wednesday night, the Region 4 Board of Education voted 7-1 to approve borrowing nearly $10 million to revamp athletic fields at the middle school and high school.

The $9.6 million bond would cover a complete renovation of Valley Regional High School’s practice field and upper field, the partial renovation of its baseball and softball fields, and a renovation of the football field along with the construction of a six-lane running track. It also includes constructing two new soccer fields and a cross country course on a controversial piece of property the district purchased in 2017, known as the “Mislick property.”

The bond also includes funds to reconstruct two soccer fields at John Winthrop Middle School.

Superintendent of Schools Brian White explained that the district, which includes Chester, Deep River and Essex, had been working toward revamping the athletic facilities for three years. In 2020, the district contracted with the civil engineering firm BSC to evaluate its existing fields.

“We have potholes in the field. We have potholes in the track surface. These are the conditions that, when we talk about safety considerations and concerns, really give us cause for alarm,” White said.

White presented quotes from the BSC report that underscored poor drainage on the fields and problems with compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. White said he knew of family members who had been unable to attend games because they were physically unable to get to the fields.

The bond would be paid back over 20 years, with an expected interest rate of 4.25 percent — meaning a total of about $14 million.

Comments at the public hearing veered back and forth between residents protesting the size of the bond and the use of the Mislick property, and student athletes and coaches lamenting the state of the fields and underscoring the urgent need for repairs.

Students described fields that were uneven, with divots and bumps that posed a risk of injury. One member of the softball team said a teammate injured her knee on the softball field, which could potentially keep her out of games for the rest of the season.

“Our team refers to the field as the ‘dirt patch,’” said Mimi Siegel, a junior who will be captain of the girl’s field hockey team next year. Siegel described the field condition as “deplorable” and said she and her teammates last year found themselves picking glass off the field from bottles that were thrown during a football game.

“As someone who is hoping to play in college, it is impossible for coaches to get a sense of my level of play during games on this field, as the conditions prevent me and my team from playing at a top level,” she said.

Jack Finnegan, a member of the baseball team, said his team had coined the term “Valley Hop” to describe the strange directions the ball goes when it bumps against the uneven ground on the field.

“The only advice coaches can give is to get in front of the ball and stick with it,” Finnegan said. “But in reality, conditions like these create uncertainty, reluctance and fear, which are detrimental in baseball.”

Parents and coaches also spoke in support of the project. But members of the public pushed back on several points, including the proposal to build two new grass fields on the 13-acre Mislick property. In 2017, the district purchased the property without having the necessary funds budgeted, and without getting an independent appraisal on the property.

Sue Evans, a Deep River resident, said the board’s history with the Mislick property purchase made it difficult for her to trust a bond request for the athletic fields.

“I have trouble giving any credibility to monetary requests from this board,” Evans said.

Evans and other residents also protested the board’s decision to request the bonding money for the fields as a single package rather than breaking it up into smaller requests.

“Providing the schools with a slush fund to fix the athletic fields is not fair to taxpayers,” she said.

White said the district was requesting the bonds this year was because it was on the verge of paying off a long-term bond from previous renovations on the middle and high schools, and that bonding this year would prevent the district from having to face spikes or dips in its debt service, which could affect the town’s tax rate.

Others questioned the district’s ability to maintain the fields over time.

Cheryl Service, of Deep River, said she felt disturbed while walking around the fields and seeing expensive equipment “sitting outside to rot and rust.”

“I cannot trust that you’re going to be good stewards of our money. The fields haven’t been maintained,” Service said. “Where’s the money for maintenance? Was there not funds set aside the last time that the fields were done? How can we be sure that (if) we’re going to give you $10 million to redo all these fields, they’re not going to be in the same condition 10 or 15 years from now because you haven’t addressed the issue of maintenance?”

Others pushed back against the idea of having an artificial turf field, citing potential health risks to students. White said while it wasn’t yet determined whether the field reconstructions would be synthetic or grass, it was possible that one of the fields might be artificial.

People also expressed concern about the cost of the bond, and how it would affect taxpayers living in town.

“If we keep just throwing more money … at the situation, it may fix it, but what we need to look forward to is 20 years from now,” said Carl Ericson, of Deep River. “My kids have graduated and it seems like more kids are moving out of the community, out of the state because they can’t afford to live here.”

Several people said they would support the bonding package if the $2 million for the new fields on the Mislick property were removed. Board member Rick Daniels, the lone vote against the bond, said he believed the funds for the Mislick property shouldn’t be included. He added that he was concerned about the prospect of future bonds the district would need to take out and how those could pile up over time.

“I don’t dispute the fact that our fields are a mess … but I’m all about not asking for any more fields until we learn and are able to care for the ones that we’ve got,” Daniels said. “In previous administrations, money for maintenance disappeared quickly, and it just was not put back into it. Had we done that, we wouldn’t have been in this situation.”

But several board members and local residents said that, without the use of the Mislick property, there would be no place to put the cross country course, leaving students to take long runs along Route I-80.

Coaches and board members also pointed out that the additional fields would allow the already existing fields to rest between seasons.

“If you do not get those extra fields, that extra cycle time over the lifetime value of those fields will incur higher costs,” BOE member John Stack said in a school board meeting convened immediately after the public hearing.

At the board meeting, Daniels said he was concerned that having the Mislick property included in the bond referendum could cause voters to reject it entirely.

Meanwhile, board Chair Kate Sandmann said she was very “moved” by what the students shared at the public hearing.

“It really matters whether or not you’re on your home field. It matters a lot,” she said. “If we don’t do the whole thing, I think we might as well not do it at all.”

The district has scheduled a referendum on the project for May 2.

—This story has been updated to correct the date of the referendum

Emilia Otte covers health and education for the Connecticut Examiner. In 2022 Otte was awarded "Rookie of the Year," by the New England Newspaper & Press Association.

[email protected]

How bad is the mold at a middle school in Deep River? Parents and teachers got a better idea after a report from a consulting firm was released.

But now the question is - how does the Region 4 school district move forward with the students packed at the high school?

“It’s looking like this is going to be a problem that’ll take a while to fix the middle school,” Sarah Field, a former teacher said.

That was the takeaway for parents and teachers in Deep River about the mold situation at John Winthrop Middle School. An environmental report shows extensive mold in multiple rooms in the building.

Students and staff have been placed at Valley Regional High School for safety reasons. Some teachers say crowding has become an issue.

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Deep River school district addresses mold and overcrowding concerns

How bad is the mold at a middle school in Deep River? Parents and teachers got a better idea after a report from a consulting firm was released.

“There are multiple classes meeting in the library. They are classes meeting in the hallways. There are difficulties with teachers having one on one conversations with students,” Field said.

Field, a former teacher at Winthrop, has kept in touch with many of her colleagues. She said the current situation at the high school is untenable.

“You’re taking classrooms that are being repurposed on very short notice and teachers are coming up from the other school without any of the supplies they need,” she said.

Region 4 Superintendent Brian J. White said the latest environmental report has provided crucial information.

“We do think a primary cause is our HVAC system but as we also heard this evening, we need to engage in a more thorough investigation into all aspects of the building,” White said.

The investigation will require some time. White said ideas like portable classrooms at the high school are being considered.

“We’re open to all of those options and we’ll be working with our staff to best determine which of those options will meet the needs of our schools and our community,” he said.

Field said she’s glad no one is in the middle school building and hopes some short-term solutions can be arranged.

“People are really good about giving each other grace and trying to work together. I do think this is a matter of urgency and it’s going to need swift decisions,” she said.

There will be another school board meeting next Wednesday to discuss plans on moving forward in the school district.

DEEP RIVER, CT (WFSB) - School officials in Deep River held a meeting Wednesday about a major mold issue in the middle school.

Parents and teachers at John Winthrop Middle School found out their mold issue is worse than they thought.

Severe mold growth was confirmed in more than 20 rooms.

The findings were presented by mold expert Larry Cannon, who said the school wasn’t safe for anyone.

“When I saw that I said ‘the district really needs to know this,’” Cannon said.

He conducted his test on Sept. 7, which prompted the school administration to move all John Wintrhop students and staff into Valley Regional High School. That caused the two schools to co-exist under one roof.

“It’s affecting me and everyone around me” said Sophia Bonanno, a junior at Valley Regional High School. “I have to take notes on my lap and I’m not provided with anywhere to write.”

It’s only been four weeks, but parents said they are getting frustrated.

“We’re now four weeks in. The teachers are in an overcrowded environment not conducive to teaching and learning,” said one teacher during the meeting.

“You can’t tell me this is an optimal environment for these teachers to teach and these kids to learn,” added a parent.

In a letter to families, the superintendent wrote “We do not yet have a timeline.”

Teachers continued to hold classes anywhere they could find space.

“The back of the auditorium, a small hallway and even the locker room,” listed a teacher.

Cannon believed a possible cause of the mold could be the schools HVAC system combined with the high humidity over the summer.

The cleanup process may take several months before anyone could return to the middle school.

“Remediation for mold is very extensive and expensive and takes a lot of time,” said Shane Bonanno, Sophia Bonanno’s father.

The school district faced two issues, which included fixing the mold at the middle school and creating space at the high school.

“Our staff have generated a lot of ideas on things we can change soon to make a difference, but we also understand we need to think long term on space needs,” said Brian White, Regional School District 4′s superintendent, during the meeting.

The district said it will have an engineering team come in to determine a root cause and plan how to make more space in the high school.

It will discuss its plans at a board meeting on Oct 11.

The Region 4 district covers Deep River, Essex, and Chester.

School officials meeting about mold issue at Deep River school

Board of Education to talk about mold at Deep River school

School officials are expected to provide an update on plans to reopen a middle school in Deep River.

The school board is expected to discuss plans to reopen the school.

Copyright 2023 WFSB. All rights reserved.

DEEP RIVER, Conn. (WTNH) — Students and faculty at a Deep River middle school are being relocated after mold was found in the building.

The superintendent of Deep River Schools, Brian White, confirmed with News 8 that John Winthrop Middle School students and staff will be relocated to Valley Regional High School.

“These kids are resilient, and we’ve got some people… some really smart people working everything out, and I’m not worried about it,” said parent Jill Strempel, whose son Christopher attends the middle school.

White said the district is working with the Connecticut River Area Health District and environmental professionals to determine a plan to address the issue. He also noted that the top priority is the health and wellness of the students, staff and faculty.

The families of those impacted by the mold discovery wonder if any health risks are associated with the mold in the building.

“How long has it been there? Was it there when we were there? Were we inhaling it?” Zahra Zain of Chester asked. “And how did somebody let it get this bad before noticing?”

Zahra’s mother, Aaron Zain, said her son, who currently attends the middle school, said some people were reporting headaches and feeling unwell.

The middle school students and staff will be moved to Valley Regional High School on Monday.

The high school used to house both the middle and high schools. The middle school students will be taking up one wing of the building.

However, some students say that the wing is where juniors and seniors are, so some may have to move to different lockers or classrooms. Some students and staff are concerned they may lose parking spaces to make room for the added teachers and staff driving there.

“It doesn’t affect freshmen unless you have a class up there, which I have global studies and my math class,” Zain said. “So, my math class is going to be moved to another classroom.”

While the move may be inconvenient for some, school officials said it is temporary and done out of caution to keep all students and staff safe.

DEEP RIVER — The Planning and Zoning Commission voted Thursday to amend zoning regulations to allow a private school to open in the village commercial district.

The amendment was in response to a petition from the Connecticut Coastal Academy, which is looking to purchase the former Citizens Bank building on Main Street.

The Coastal Academy, a private, state-approved special education school, is currently based in Essex, where it serves about 25 students from around the state.

According to Pamela Potemri, the school’s executive director, the facility mainly serves secondary students with learning needs that exceed what traditional high schools could offer. Many of them, she said, are hands-on learners, so the academy has a strong focus on trades, particularly building and construction, as well as culinary.

“They’re really kids that we need to reengage in education and get them the skill set that they’re going to need to be productive citizens in our community,” Potemri told the Planning and Zoning Commission in March.

Although the academy is a special education school, Potemri told CT Examiner, most of the students are grappling with language disabilities like dyslexia or high-functioning autism. As a result, she said, they don’t qualify for adult services after graduation the way others might.

“They are the future in our community that are going to be unemployed and underemployed if we don’t do this right,” Potemri told the commission.

In a meeting on Thursday, commission members debated whether to allow the exemption. A few members said they were concerned that allowing a special exemption would open the door for other institutions that the town might not want in the commercial district, and they would have no legal recourse to deny them.

But Chair Tony Bolduc and First Selectman Angus McDonald both noted that the commission would still have to approve all applicants individually before they could operate in town.

McDonald, who spoke in favor of the school, told CT Examiner that the owner of the property had been trying to sell it for a long time. He added that while a school wouldn’t pay the same taxes as a commercial business, he felt it was a good use for the building and, hopefully, would bring young people and teachers into the community.

Potemri told CT Examiner that the former Citizens Bank building was ideal for several reasons – it’s handicap accessible, the former drive-thru would provide a private entrance for students, and it’s on the route for public transportation. She also noted that the building looked like a school from the outside.

“Deep River’s a beautiful place and it’s safe, and it’s a good place for our kids. So to me, it made perfect sense,” Potemri said.

Another advantage to the building, she said, is its access to the downtown commercial district, as many of her students take internships within the community.

“You want them to be able to be employable and self-sufficient, and all of those things and give them a leg up on employment and school opportunities so that they’re successful,” Potemri said.

But the proposal has also received pushback from the Economic Development Commission, which said it was unclear whether the school would add to the tax rolls. The commission submitted a letter of non-support to Planning and Zoning.

“We believe any change to [the town’s] zoning regulations potentially impacting the economic growth and expansion of the town, be referred to a public vote, for which the town’s residents to decide,” wrote Economic Development Commission Vice Chair Nicholas Kornacki.

Planning and Zoning Commission member Fred Jordan said at the Thursday meeting that he was against the idea of having a school in a commercial zone, arguing that an institution downtown that would be “shuttered at night” would not benefit the town.

“We have very, very little commercial district, and I think that needs to be guarded at all costs,” Jordan said.

Potemri told CT Examiner that the school is for-profit, and would be on the town’s tax rolls.

“The fact is that we will be paying taxes to the town of Deep River,” she said. “By owning the building as opposed to leasing a building, certainly we bring it – tax base to the town. And I get it – from a very practical, economic development standpoint, it’s a valid point.”

Planning and Zoning Commission member Mike Dinello also brought up concerns about traffic, noting there have been several accidents on Main Street, and asking whether bringing children into the area could create a liability for the town. Other members asked whether the school would generate more traffic.

Michael Bonnaro, attorney for the school, noted in March that the school currently had 12 cars dropping students off, all in cars or minivans, plus 15 staff members. The academy does not use school buses.

“A school would certainly generate some traffic, but so would a really popular restaurant. So would housing. And so did a bank,” McDonald told CT Examiner.

Planning and Zoning Commission members Alan Paradis and Marian Staye spoke in favor of the school.

“I think this could be a tremendous asset for Deep River. In my opinion, as a citizen, I’d say it would be a welcome program,” Paradis said at the March meeting.

Paradis also said he felt the school would fit well in the area, which is close to the elementary school, the library and the Youth Services Bureau.

“If a portion of this program is internships and engagement with the community, it being nestled in our commercial district, I think is very opportune,” he said.

Staye and McDonald both said Thursday that having a greater variety of institutions on Main Street would add to the vibrancy of the area.

“The diversity of a main street really makes a main street more vibrant, and a school … can add to that vibrancy in multiple ways,” McDonald said.

Potemri told CT Examiner that the academy had negotiated a purchase price with the owner, but did not disclose the cost since documents have yet to be signed.

Mark Marino, current owner of the Citizens Bank, also declined to comment on the purchase price, but said he was pleased that the building was being bought by the school.

Marino said he tried for nearly two years to attract a nice restaurant into the building, but was unable to get a buyer for the 12,000-square-foot space.

“A building like that cannot sit vacant. It’ll deteriorate,” he said. “It has to have life in it. It has to be used.”

Potemri told members of the Planning and Zoning Committee in March that the most important thing for her was that her students would be welcome in the area.

“I don’t want to be in the middle of controversy. I don’t want my students to be in the middle of controversy. I want them to feel welcome in Deep River and by the community,” she said. “They have dealt with a lot of rejection, historically, in the past, and that’s just not something I want to put them through.”

Commission members were quick to reassure.

“Going back in history, the town has always been welcoming to students from various backgrounds,” said commission member Jonathan Kastner. “I think that Deep River has always welcomed young people.”

The academy still needs approval from Planning and Zoning to open at the Citizens Bank site. Potemri said she hopes to open the academy this fall.

Emilia Otte covers health and education for the Connecticut Examiner. In 2022 Otte was awarded "Rookie of the Year," by the New England Newspaper & Press Association.

[email protected]