At a special town meeting in Bethel last night, it was decided to hold a referendum on the 17th about a proposed school renovation project.  Superintendent Christine Carver says this would make the district eligible to apply for state reimbursement on some parts of the Rockwell and Johnson project, because a vote has to be held in order to get on the funding priority list. 

Rockwell was built in 1971 and Johnson in 1980. 

With the state budget stalemate, there are some concerns about moving forward.  State school construction funding is different than the Education Cost Sharing Grant money.  Bethel and 84 other municipalities will have their ECS money eliminated under Governor Malloy's executive order, which is being used to run the state while there is no budget signed into law.  

Bethel's referendum resolution could be written so that the project is contingent on state funding approval.