A Statement About School Regionalization.

This week the Democratic Party leader of the Connecticut General Assembly proposed Bill 769, “AN ACT ENCOURAGING LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO REGIONALIZE.”[1]  Throughout the last political campaign, Wilton’s Democrats derided the idea that school regionalization was a legitimate issue.

• * As a candidate, Keith Denning wrote an article for Good Morning Wilton, “False Narrative on School Regionalization and State-Enforced Zoning Mandates— Fearmongering vs. Facts"[2]  in which he flatly stated, “I do not support regionalizing our schools, nor does the Democratic Party at large.”
• * Candidate Ceci Maher similarly wrote, “My opponent’s rallying cry is ‘local control,’ a talking point that stokes fear of state takeovers of our schools.”[3]
• * Jane Rinard, Treasurer of the Wilton Democratic Town Committee, bought space in GMW to accuse local Republicans of, “repeating the myth that the state Democratic platform calls for regionalizing our schools.”[4]

In light of Bill 769, either these Democrats were ignorant of their party’s true agenda or were willfully misleading voters during the campaign.  Either explanation is disgraceful. 

Common sense Wiltonians of all political persuasions oppose any state mandated or coerced effort by the Democrat supermajority in Hartford to undermine local control of our schools.

We expect State Senator Ceci Maher, State Representative Keith Denning, and the Wilton DTC to put the town’s interests above those of their political party and join us in strenuously defending Wilton’s independence by opposing Bill 769 and any other legislation that would forcibly regionalize our schools.

[1] https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/TOB/S/PDF/2023SB-00769-R00-SB.PDF

[2] https://goodmorningwilton.com/election-2022-candidate-op-ed-false-narrative-on-school-regionalization-and-state-enforced-zoning-mandates-fearmongering-vs-facts-sponsored-post/

[3] https://goodmorningwilton.com/election-2022-meet-the-candidate-ceci-maher-for-state-senate-26th-district-op-ed-video-interview/

[4] https://goodmorningwilton.com/election-2021-letter-sponsored-dtc-wilton-republican-candidates-are-spreading-regionalization-myth/