R.J. Kinsella Magnet School of Performing
Arts SGC Meeting Agenda
Friday, February 13, 2015
Council Persons in Attendance: Ken O’Brien, Sue Ellen Repeta, Renee Tavares,
Dennis Rizzo, Richard Stohl, Felicia Licki, Darien Kupec, Tom Petrisko, , Jose
Sierra, Rita Blair
Guests: Dr. Donald Slater (HPS COO), Deidra Tavera (HPS Chief Engagement
and Partnership Officer), Anne Meurnier, Tom Craig, Carma Liburd, Mark Field,
JP Larocco, Chrissy Amendola, Andrea Stewart, Jacob Boergesson, Megan Wittel,
Mike Lenaghan, Salko Kolarovic, Chris Cavallo, Kevin St. Pierre, Stephanie
Marquez, Joezel Rivera, Irma Carillo, Lawrence Nevins, Josh Rapp, Tracy
Saperstein, Josh Scherer, Eddie Duran (taking notes), Judy Katzman (in for
Liddy Doyle)
Regrets: Dave Ambrose, Kathy Borlack-Gerstein, Kayla Picora, Elle Goldberg,
Dana Shimkus, Caroline Fritz, Mary Manwaring
Opening 3:40
Welcome- Ken O’Brien
Explain the past history including the various paths to the new facility through
the mayor’s office and the superintendent’s office.
Dr. Slater: COO Hartford Schools.
 Assured that KMSPA is on the radar and the top three priorities in the
Superintendent’s facility plan. This endeavor is falling under the new
office of engagement and partnerships.
 For the last six months the mayor’s office has been searching. 13 possible
sites. Not a lot of land in Hartford.
 Superintendens is recommending three options. Emphasized a really
challenge to find a property.
 Cannot take properties off the city tax roll.
 Secondly, we are looking for property that the city owns or the school
board owns. Asking for help. Narrowed it down to three site.
 Site #1: Weaver HS site: on the north end near U of H. Currently, U of H
and Hartford School have a working relations and a strong partnership.
Cons include the distance of 4.1 miles.
 Site #2: Bulkeley HS site. Retrofit KMSAP into Bulkeley HS. Pros include
the distance from Van Block, extent
 Site #3: Wawarme Street site: Close to the school. Inquiry Tom Deller.
The land is a tax generating location and is not ideal. The city does own
the land, but no tax is currently generated on that land. There is
extensive contamination on the land.
A color copy of the location was passed around.
SR: Asked how long and exactly what the process was? DS responded with
several steps:
1) Superintendents recommendation to the Board of Education
2) BOE sub committee, three member
3) Presented to the whole BOE for recommendation
33 million has been bonded. Waiting for the board to approve the site. We can
ask for a two year extension. Superintendent would like to make the
recommendation by mid April.
KO asked about next year’s lease. DS said that next year, we will be located at
Locust Street. Hartford is potentially looking at another location for High
Roads, but that is still in discussions.
Regarding codes and safety. All request can be made to the owner of the
building of Locust Street.
KO made the request for Claudio Bazzano to visit the Locust Street location to
consider space for next year.
Deidre Tavera inquired: Immediate reactions:
 SR: Expressed concern regarding the proximity of two of the option.
 LN: Expressed concerns about Bulkeley because of the dynamic between
magnet programming and public school programming.
 KD: Expressed challenges with sharing a building generally with another
school.
Deider Tavera: Directed the conversation toward Weaver. When we think
about Weaver the benefit is the partnership with U of H.
KO: Expressed concern about the size of the Weaver Theatre.
What’s the clean up for Wawarme location? Look up Brown field. There
might have already been some clean up. The state will only allow 2 million
to clean up. Anything over 2 million the COH would have to pay for.
There are many schools in Hartford waiting for land or building.
Deidre: Let’s talk about the shared space. When you think about
programming and space, how does Kinsella look?
KO: Expressed the basic concern about culture.
KD: Expressed concerned even with this building with High School
Darian asked: Would we share teachers in the shared spaces.
DS: Yes, we could share teachers, especially in higher level courses.
Parent asked: If I wanted to send my child to Buikeley, I would have sent
them there, but she chose a PA school for the size. The parent expressed
concern about the safety and culture of the environment.
Darien: communicated the special environment that the singular building
benefits. The benefit of sharing teachers is problematic because those
teachers are not integration .
Diedra Tavera: Focusing the conversation back to space. She assured that
no matter what there will be a specific area that can be sustained and
nurtured.
SR: How would the lottery lines like using staff be addressed?
DS: Honestly said he would need to research that more.
SR: Asked that Kinsella be assured that structure of the school, no matter the
two building campus model, will remain. She cited the example of Tim
Sullivan.
DS: The SGC cannot be guaranteed, but stated that this Superintendent’s
intention is to honor the current administration.
RT: Asked what if KMSPA absorbed Bulkeley.
RS: Asked if we moved into Bulkeley, could BHS say, “Even with KMSPA, we
have more space, let’s go to capacity.
DS: stated that even if Kinsella were to go into Weaver or Bulkeley, those
communities would need to be accepting of the KMSPA.
DS: At the Weaver campus, the communities like U of H,?
Deidre: So, where do we go from here? What ideas do we building out?
What does the program look like at Bulkeley? Weaver? Wawarme?
SR: What would be the time line for each option?
DS: Wawarme would be the longest one. We don’t know the long and clean
up so it’s hard to estimate. Weaver and Bulkeley would be 2017 entering the
building.
KO: If the stakes holders, the SGC, choose one option, should be put all our
eggs in one basket or pursue both.
Katzman: Mentioned the exclusivity of a space for the theatre. And how
would equipment work?
DS: In most comprehensive schools the theatre or auditorium sits dark.
There would have to decisions made in the design process of the building.
Waiver shovels will go in the ground in July 2015.
Next steps:
SGC needs to meet next week, the 19th.
Tour Locust Street with Claudio Bazzano
*Minutes approve by consensus on 3/4/15