Groton — Superintendent of Schools Michael Graner will meet with legislators next week about getting special legislation that would grant Groton 80 percent reimbursement from the state for its proposed three new schools, reducing the cost to local taxpayers from $99 million to about $53 million.

"We've got a real issue we're trying to solve, and we need some reasonable help," he said.

Groton's school construction proposal, called the Groton 2020 Plan, would build one new middle school adjacent to Robert E. Fitch High School, and two new elementary schools at the sites of Carl C. Cutler and West Side middle schools.   

Three of the district's oldest elementary schools would close.

The total cost is estimated at $191.7 million, some of which would be paid for by the state, leaving a net cost to local taxpayers currently estimated at $99 million.   

But Graner believes Groton can make a strong argument that since the schools are needed to correct racial imbalance, the district should receive a "diversity" reimbursement rate of 80 percent.

"I think the whole plan could be made or broken by this decision because it's such a huge amount of money," Mayor Bruce Flax said.

State Rep. John Scott said he spoke to his legal staff and scheduled a meeting next week with Graner, the legal team for the State Board of Education, staff with the State Department of Administrative Services and Town Manager Mark Oefinger about how to approach the request.

State Sen. Andrew Maynard and State Rep. Aundre Bumgardner have also been invited.

"I certainly support the concept and I want this to happen, but I want it to happen correctly," Scott said.

The state cited Groton in 2014 for an imbalance at Claude Chester Elementary School, which had a minority population of 68.2 percent at the time.

Graner then presented as a solution his plan to build one new middle school and convert the existing middle schools into elementary schools. The State Board of Education accepted the plan in January 2015.

The state considers a school out of balance if the percentage of minority students deviates by 25 percentage points from the district average in the same grades. 

Groton had an average of minority student population of about 43 percent when it was cited. A district is considered to have a pending imbalance if the percentage deviates by 15 percentage points or more.

According to the most recent data, updated last spring, Groton still has an issue.

State Education Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell wrote on May 20, 2015, to Graner that Claude Chester, Northeast Academy and Catherine Kolnaski Magnet School have pending imbalances.

Claude Chester reported a minority population of 66 percent compared to a district average of 44 percent as of that date.

Catherine Kolnaski reported about 62 percent minority students, and Northeast Academy a minority population of about 24 percent, showing a pending imbalance due to too many nonminority students.

Wentzell's letter recalled for Graner the racial imbalance plan approved by the State Board of Education in January 2015 and added, "I understand that the Groton Board of Education is moving forward with its school construction project."

Graner told a joint meeting of the Town Council and Board of Education on Tuesday that he would meet with state Sen. Gayle Slossberg, co-chair of the education committee, in the next two weeks.

Special legislation, if it goes forward, would have to be approved by the end of the special session in May.

"So the voters would know, going into the referendum, an exact (amount) the taxpayer would have to pay," Graner said.

The Groton 2020 Plan would create balance by building one middle school, placing all students in grades 6 through 8 in one building, which would eliminate the issue in those grades.

The two new elementary schools would replace three existing schools, drawing students from a larger area. The elementary schools would also offer magnet programs to students from across the district.

Groton had initially planned to apply for the standard state reimbursement rate — which has fallen from about 44 percent to 40 percent — for two of the three proposed schools, and the diversity rate of 80 percent for one school, as one was cited.

But Graner believes the rate should apply to all three schools because Groton has struggled with racial balance for years, has repeatedly redistricted but only relocated the problem from one school to another.

d.straszheim@theday.com

Twitter: @DStraszheim