Milford School Committee Members Express Concern about Casino Impact

Two members of the Milford School Committee have stated publicly they are concerned about the proposed Foxwoods Massachusetts casino and the impact it will have on Milford public schools.

Both Christine Boyle and Scott Harrison said on Thursday that the host community agreement between Foxwoods Massachusetts and Milford does not provide much for the schools, other than to replace the state funds expected to be lost if the casino development is approved by voters. Their comments, made in the announcements section of the agenda at the beginning of the Thursday meeting, can be seen on YouTube.

Boyle said the casino will not help children, countering a statement she said she heard in a recent pro-casino ad.

"We should be clear," Boyle said. "Casinos do not benefit our schools. Anything in that casino amendment that helps our schools is to replace what we will lose because of the change in revenues that the town will get. There is no benefit to our schools. There's no 'Pot of Gold' at the end of the rainbow. There is no rainbow here."

The host community agreement, which goes to Milford voters on Nov. 19, calls for an annual payment to the school system for the number of new students that Foxwoods expects will move into the district, the children of employees who move into the town. The number of students, estimated at 20, would translate to $121,000.

That number was estimated by a casino consultant in July, whose report stated "Foxwoods anticipates that it will hire approximately 95 percent of the casino's new workforce from Milford and surrounding towns." The agreement negotiated by Selectmen and Foxwoods in late August, however, defined the surrounding community as a 50-mile radius from downtown Milford.

The casino also would cover what the school system expects to lose in Chapter 70 state aid, due to the increased tax base once the casino is built. That amount is expected to be $3 million a year.

The host community agreement also details additional payments that will be made to the town, including $25 million a year in expected annual property taxes. But those funds are not earmarked for the schools.

Harrison said the school committee and educators are trying to improve the quality of education in Milford. The casino package doesn't help much with that effort, he said. "There's not a lot built in for it," he said. "There's not a lot that's been built in to be able to help and continue to increase the education in the schools of Milford."

The casino development has the potential to change how future generations of people live in Milford, he said. "The town of Milford has the potential to go down a different path. I'm not sure it's the right one."

Boyle is a research scientist who teaches biology at Worcester State University and was re-elected to a second term on the seven-member school committee in 2011. Harrison, a senior vice-president at Bank of America, was elected in 2012 to a first term on the committee.

No other school committee members spoke publicly about the casino. A spokesman for Foxwoods Massachusetts, contacted Monday about the committee member statements, said the casino would have no comment.