Norwalk High’s new science wing will not have bathrooms. Someone made a decision in 2005 to removed the bathrooms from the $39 million dollar construction project because of cost. Now they can’t be put back because of cost. Yet, so they say. Well, I say this is yet another glaring example of Stuart Opdahl mismanaging a construction project, one that has costs over runs conveniently taken out of the Jefferson school budget. You know Jefferson school where the recent CMT scores are:
In reading, Norwalk fifth graders fell short of the state average 73.4 proficiency with 63.5 proficiency. Columbus and Wolfpit elementary schools came closest to the average, both scoring more than 70 percent.
Fifth grade writing scores — 85.7 percent proficiency in the state and 80.8 percent in Norwalk — were both surpassed by three city schools, Marvin Elementary, Fox Run, and Columbus Elementary.
Silvermine Elementary fifth graders fared among the worst in the district, with 54.3 percent proficiency in math, 53.1 percent in reading, and 71.6 percent in writing.
Jefferson Science Magnet School fifth graders also struggled, with 59.7 percent achieving proficiency in math, and 46.8 percent reaching proficiency in reading.
There is no one in the Norwalk Public Schools administration trained to understand financial operations, or have experience in finance to the scale of a $147 million operating budget. There is no construction project manager contracted to oversee the construction projects on behalf of the school board, which means no one is looking out for contractors who waste money simply because there is no accountability for when mistakes are made. Look at how Westport manages to not pay for cost over runs with its electrical contractors because someone there is minding the numbers. Corda just wants to cash flow to be uninterrupted. And the one guy who has his hands in the pie, Opdahl has already cost the city millions. So what does he say about bathrooms?
Discussion of the bathrooms re-ignited at recent Norwalk High Building Advisory Committee and Board of Education meetings.
Chief Operating Officer Stuart Opdahl said in June that the district would consider making changes to the alteration plan — including moving a bathroom closer to the wing — but acknowledged cost would limit the scope of changes that could be made.
Opdahl could not be reached for comment this week as he was out of the office for medical reasons.
Out of the office for medical reasons. Here’s a shocker, Opdahl can’t inspect construction sites either. In football when you can’t play you aren’t in the game. It’s time for Opdahl to be put on the physically and mentally unable to perform list and for the BOE to tell Corda, hire a financial director or you won’t get any money released. It’s long past time the the BOE show Corda that he reports to them, not the other way around. Demand more, you’d be surprise at how it works. Just look at professional football.
source:, The Hour, Test results mixed at city elementary schools, By AMANDA PINTO, August 1, 2007
source:, The Hour, Lav in new NHS wing plan flushed, for now, By AMANDA PINTO, August 1, 2007
