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Showing posts from April, 2024

Enfield eyeing $40 million road improvement plan for 2026 vote

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Charts show the draft list of streets being considered by Enfield for improvement. [See detailed street list below story.] The plan is not final. Town Council approval and voter authorization is needed. Enfield may ask voters to approve about $40 million to rebuild roughly 17 miles of town roads. The proposal continues the town’s long-running effort to modernize its street network as aging pavement and rising costs put pressure on the system. Since 2000, voters have approved about $163 million in road bonding. That work has covered more than 150 miles, or about 83% of Enfield’s roads. Major road programs have typically gone before voters every five years. The Town Council has not approved anything. At a recent council meeting, town officials outlined the status of road improvements and the next phase. The council will have to decide how much to spend on roads, and then ask voters to approve it in November 2026. The town's presentation can be viewed here . [The PDF begins with the t...

Are Enfield schools criminalizing adolescent behavior?

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  Enfield School District suspension rates by year. Black suspension are consistently high. The sharp decline in suspensions in the 2020-21 school year was a result of school 2020 school year was a result of COVID-related school closings.  The Enfield Town Council is set to approve approximately $200,000 tonight for police equipment to support its armed guards—a decision already settled in previous debates. However, as we move forward, it's crucial that we examine the broader implications of this action and address some concerning trends within our community. Last year, 42 students were arrested in Enfield Public Schools, with incidents evenly distributed between JFK Middle School and Enfield High School. This data alone prompts a serious discussion, but when coupled with the suspension and expulsion statistics, it becomes even more alarming. Approximately 21% of Black students were suspended, compared to 13% of Hispanic students and more than 8% of white students. This patter...