Can Sliney Be Saved?

Is the John B. Sliney Elementary School past its prime or can it renovated to meet the educational needs of the 21st century?

That is one of the questions the newly appointed Facilities Committee is grappling with as they attempt to resolve thorny issues regarding Sliney, Walsh Intermediate School and the former Branford Hills Elementary School. Click here to read about the committee’s meeting earlier this month.

Following a tour of Sliney Tuesday, Frank Carrano, chair of the Board of Education (BOE), asked the committee to bring ideas to the next meeting, prompting some committee members to express frustrations about not having enough information. 

“What are we talking about in terms of costs?” asked Anthony J. Milici, a committee member who also sits on the Representative Town Meeting (RTM). Milici told Carrano he feels like he’s being asked to make decisions in a vacuum, without critical details. 

Carrano responded that the BOE and the RTM, not the committee, would have the cost comparisons after architects look at any proposed projects.

Carrano said he wants the committee to be prepared to ​“toss around the possibilities” at the next two meetings. ​“Is it possible to renovate these building to turn them into state-of-the-art buildings?” Carrano asked in regard to Walsh and Sliney. From the outset the committee faced tough deadlines. Click here to read about that.

Milici said he didn’t know how the committee could make those decisions at this point in time.

Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez said the committee has gained some ​“perspective” regarding the buildings following the tours and discussions. ​“Is Walsh Intermediate satisfactory… and is this school satisfactory?” asked Hernandez.

Committee member Kyle Nelson, a former RTM member, said the issues are very complex. ​“It’s not just what’s good for the board…it’s what’s good for the whole town,” Nelson said.

Carrano said the BOE could have made decisions without the committee, but he wanted to expand the scope. ​“Bringing this group together was an effort to involve other members of the community,” he said.

Nelson said it might be possible to brainstorm at the next meetings and determine ​“things we want the board to factor into the equation. Let’s talk about all the possible options.”

The committee (pictured) will meet Sept. 10 at Mary T. Murphy Elementary School, so that committee members can compare Murphy and Sliney schools.

JOHN B. SLINEY SCHOOL

“Sliney is the town treasure built in 1929,” said Dr. Susan Iwanicki-Smith, principal at Sliney and a member of the Facilities Committee. The school began as Branford High School and later was renamed in honor of Sliney, a long-term member of the Board of Education and a former first selectman.

Iwanicki-Smith led an extensive tour of the school, which was originally built as a high school. There are currently 20 classrooms housing about 360 students in kindergarten through fifth grades.

“It’s a beautiful building and it has a lot of history,” Iwanicki-Smith said. However, she said there are definite problems including a small library, minimal storage space, insufficient technology, an antiquated telephone system and asbestos-filled walls.

“The asbestos is imbedded in the plaster,” Carrano explained.

Mark Deming, director of facilities and a member of the committee said the asbestos in the walls creates the greatest challenge when it comes to repairs or renovations or upgrades to technology. He said the asbestos limits what can be done in the building even in terms of simple things. ​“A teacher can’t come in a hang a picture on the wall,” he said. 

Iwanicki-Smith led the tour through the classrooms, the auditorium which doubles as a cafeteria, a tiny kitchen, and the gymnasium which is in the basement. She said there is a ​“unique odor” in the basement level, and that the school’s plumbing system is flushed weekly to help remedy the situation.

She joked that the children have heard rumors that the ghost of ​“John B.” is still in the school and can be heard in the basement.

She noted the lack of closets and storage space throughout the building, the sparse number of restrooms, and the staircases that weren’t built for young students. There is an elevator for those who are unable to climb stairs.

On the other hand, she said the building’s charm and location in the center of town are definite advantages. In addition, she said the large windows allow daylight to stream into the classrooms.

“I love the building,” Iwanicki-Smith said when Carrano asked her opinion about options for the school. ​“From an economical standpoint, probably the best solution would be to build a new building,” she said.

Hernandez said the main issue is whether the building serves its purpose. He said an enrollment projection study completed five years ago predicted that Slaney would have 292 students at this point in time — not the 360 who are currently enrolled. ​“This is not an ideal elementary school,” Hernandez said. 

Iwanicki-Smith said that although this is her first year at Sliney, she knows that a lot of people are not in favor of changing the building. ​“There’s a lot of people who really love Sliney,” she said.

Carrano agreed. ​“People are very conflicted by being in an environment that has a lot of charm, but on the other hand there are issues about inadequacies,” he said. 

Iwanicki-Smith said despite the problems, ​“There’s a feeling here that’s wonderful.”
 
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