SIMSBURY -- School regionalization continues to be a hot topic at the State Capitol and in towns all across the state.
On Monday, Simsbury parents and students gathered to tell their state representative to keep lawmakers hands off their schools.
Connecticut lawmakers are pushing for the consolidation of school districts throughout the state.
"They're all cons to me," said State Representative John Hampton, who hosted a public meeting last Thursday with the residents of Simsbury.
"From a Simsbury perspective we’ve done everything we can here to regionalize to share costs and services as efficiently and effectively as we can," said Simsbury resident, Melissa Osbourne.
There are four bills currently being considered concerning school regionalization.
Proponents say they’re aimed at cutting down on bureaucracy like central offices and superintendents – adding that actual schools wouldn’t close and that the regionalization wouldn’t be forced, just financially encouraged.
But critics aren’t buying it.
Simsbury Resident Holly McGrath added," nothing of the bill talks about the important of students education and how to produce the best results for our children, that’s what all the parents here are worried about."
“As somebody who was born and raised here, I think the idea of a mandated regionalization is not good public policy,” Hampton said.
The bills for school consolidation are currently still in Committee and have not reached the General Assembly.