Woodstock Academy was established in 1802 with a private charter to “maintain and operate a school and engage in educational enterprises in . . . Woodstock for the benefit of the inhabitants of said town and vicinity.” The Academy’s Trustees have an affirmative fiduciary and legal obligation to manage the school in a manner consistent with this mission.
The Academy has grown to be a large regional high school and become a critical asset to the area’s public education system. In 1992, the school was financially stabilized, expanded and reconstructed with a $14.5 million bond issued by Woodstock and Eastford, guaranteed by Woodstock, and with a long term funding commitment by the State of Connecticut to repay the bonds. Consistent with the Academy’s charter and bylaws, the statute providing the State financing commitment required a governance structure to insure ongoing collaboration between the Academy and its sending towns.
The Academy Trustees have recently prioritized expansion of its student population and physical facilities over the academic environment of the smaller scale school many residents prefer, even while at least one sending town (Brooklyn) is examining leaving the Academy. The Academy’s recent problems all relate directly to this expansionist objective. These include a large land acquisition without proper due diligence and the associated legal default on the school’s primary bonding. The rapid increase in the student and staff population has caused overuse of the school’s septic system resulting in its premature failure and the need for a new sewer line. The budget conflicts with the Woodstock Public Schools include possibly improper retention of overcharged tuition funds that have been set aside in a growing cash reserve.
The substantial resources required to fund the Academy’s planned expansion are now being allocated at the direct expense of the primary, public education systems of the sending towns, which are increasingly struggling financially to prepare students for the Academy. While this is affecting Woodstock first and foremost because of its Proposition 46 fiscal constraint and its position as the largest sending town, it has begun to affect the other sending towns as well.
The Academy Trustees’ excessive focus on independent control rather than the quality of their decisions; their adversarial dealings with their domicile town Board of Education; and their aggressive local political tactics in pursuit of their objectives do not substitute for a true educational strategy consistent with their charter. The Academy’s recent inclusion of the leadership of Citizens for Prudent Spending on its Board of Trustees is especially misdirected. CPS continues to be highly active in dissemination of extreme anti-public education views, in direct contravention of the Academy charter.
The Academy Trustees owe their sending towns much more than this. It is time for the Trustees to assume, rather than resist, their proper chartered and statutory obligations to engage the sending town boards of education in a collaborative effort to develop and enhance the health and stability of the area’s public education system for the long term.
Sincerely,
Joseph E. Breen
Woodstock, CT
Does the expansionism you talk about include the Academy’s initiative to acquire a sister school in China. I understand several from the Academy are traveling to China in a week or two to work on this. I wonder if their travel expenses are coming from the Academy ‘endowment’ or from taxpayers.
This is great synopsis of some of the problems facing Woodstock, but what is the strategy of the local Democratic party to reach these desired outcomes and how can the Democratic party convince the townsfolks and the Academy trustees that this is in their best interest?
My fantasy is that the two parties, Republican and Democratic, come up with a strategy to work together to save our school system and our town. The outdated method of allowing people to be nominated to run for the Board of Finance that have no experience in the financial world doesnt work. In addition, tightfisting while chipping away at our school budget year after year in favor of what everyone thinks are maintenance “services” in the Government budget doesn’t work either. We need people with an idea of how to make money and then how to manage money. We need Selectmen who are not interested in adding new programs that we cant afford, or who are merely going to shift funds around within the Government purse. Both parties need to speak with their potential candidates and with each other and join forces to win this one
FYI; THE ACQUISITION OF A SISTER SCHOOL IN CHINA IS FUNDED BY A GRANT, AND IS A PROGRAM THAT WILL ENCOURAGE DIVERSITY AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCE FOR ALL STUDENTS AT WA. (Thanks for the good information. Admin)
Thankyou ‘another taxpayer’, It seems like the Chinese program is a noble pursuit. Does the Academy have a news release on this grant. I think the state is offering such grants. I’d be curious to learn more about the grant and what it funds. I could not find this info by searching the Academy website or Google. Can you direct me to more information on this program and the grant at the Academy?
I did not attend this meeting and have not read the minutes. I am unclear who has taken this proposal to Hartford. Is this an iniative by Mr. Breen as a private citizen or is it sponsored and or approved by the BOE?
Uncertain,
This is an initiative from Mr. Breen as a private citizen and has not been supported nor endorsed by the BOE. …(See new article by “Stranded…” Admin)
Thanks for the clarification. When I looked yesterday, I did not find the minutes on the school website. Where are they posted?
[...] Drums Along the Quinebaug See the latest Norwich Bull article on the plight of the Academy and Mike Alberts’ disingenuous claim that he doesn’t know “what specific changes Breen wanted” in Breen’s statement to the Education committee. Just see the quote below: [...]