It may appear to some that state Reps. John Scott and Aundre Bumgardner, both Republicans serving Groton, were “asleep at the wheel” when they were driving the plan forward to get special legislation to upgrade aging Groton schools and correct a persistent racial imbalance problem. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Rep. Scott initiated a Jan. 27 meeting at his office with a member of the Department of Education and two senior members of the Department of Administrative Services (DAS), who provided excellent advice and strong support for our application for special legislation. Representing the town were myself, Superintendent Michael Graner, our consultant, and both Scott and Bumgardner.

At that point Scott began the process to seek special legislation for Groton.

On Feb. 25 our team went back to Hartford to have our detailed plans reviewed by DAS. This time DAS Commissioner Melody Currey was in attendance. Over the course of a three-hour meeting, Currey made it clear that Groton schools were currently in racial balance, albeit by only eight children in Claude Chester Elementary. Despite having grappled with racial balance since at least 2003, we learned Groton would not be eligible for the regular diversity grant.

Thanks to redistricting, on the backs of many of our Groton families, including some students who attended four different elementary schools in five years, Groton had achieved the Herculean task of being in racial balance under state rules. But this resulted from short-term fixes. Our task force’s goal was to develop a long-term solution to the diversity issue.

It was Currey who recommended that Groton determine a specific dollar amount to request from the legislature via special legislation because Groton, then in compliance, did not qualify for the regular diversity grant.

Our task force followed Currey’s specific instructions with Scott following through on the legislative processes. In the last two months of the legislative session our team met with DAS representatives two additional times. Scott’s legal staff had weekly conference calls with DAS to inquire the status of our legislative request, told repeatedly it was tracking just fine.

Unfortunately the commissioner, on the last regular day of the session, pulled the legislation.

But our efforts continue.

After nearly four years, the work of our Task Force is completed. On May 18, in a joint session with the Board of Education and after careful, thoughtful deliberation, the Groton Town Council voted unanimously to send the building plan to Groton voters on Nov. 8.

Our plan to build one new middle school and renovate like new Cutler and West Side into elementary schools remains on track for state funding in the next legislative session, by way of the special legislation Commissioner Currey originally encouraged Groton to pursue.

Despite the setback of not getting the special legislation this year, I want to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of Rep. Scott to facilitate numerous meetings with Currey, among other state officials, and with fellow legislators. Although a first-term legislator, Scott worked diligently to navigate the system with the skills of a veteran. While the state’s fiscal crisis prevented the passage of the special legislation, Groton citizens and our school district were well served by Scott’s knowledge, persistence, and commitment to the town.

Jonathan Heller is chairman of the Groton School Facilities Initiative Task Force.