School Board Weighs The Future Of Kent House

By Eliza Hallabeck

The Board of Education tabled a decision on whether to keep Kent House, a building at Fairfield Hills, on the backburner as a possible location for education expansion during its meeting Tuesday, June 16, but it also passed more points on the strategic plan, passed curricula, and chose members to represent the board on a negotiating committee between itself and the largest union in the school system, the teachers union, this summer when regular contract negotiations begin.

“It looked like at one point it had been a really nice building,” Board of Education Chair Elaine McClure said, remembering a walk-through of Kent House when the school board was last deciding on an option for expansion at the high school. She said windows had been left open, and, without heat, the building had leaked in moisture.

Amy Dent, speaking as a liaison with Fairfield Hills Authority, said the authority would like to know as soon as possible if the school board intends to use Kent House.

“It’s on a very small property,” Ms Dent said. “It was always looked at as an adjunct facility.”

Ms Dent said it had been a nice building when the state still had employees overseeing maintenance, but, like other buildings on the campus, it has not been kept up since the state left. Kent House, Ms Dent said, had been built with education in mind.

Ms McClure said the school board would postpone the decision on Kent House until the board had further time to review the information.

“We can aim for August,” said Ms McClure.

During public participation, Ruby Johnson urged the school board to keep Kent House, while First Selectman Joe Borst told board members to refrain from losing the option of Kent house if nothing better is available.

Strategic Planning

On Tuesday, June 2, the school board’s previous meeting, members of the individual Strategic Plan Committees gave presentations to the board on what their committees had come up with. Over three days in October, a 30-member group of volunteers met to map out core concepts for the school district’s Strategic Plan, and the school board then passed it. From there it went to five individual committees that focused discussion on the five concepts of the plan. The five committees were the Student Achievement Committee, the Character Development Committee, the Student Success Plan Committee, the Communication Plan Committee, and the Capital Improvement Plan Committee.

“We need to jolt, not shift, our system if it is going to react to a changing world,” Sandy Hook School Principal Donna Pagé said as the head of the Student Achievement Committee to the school board on June 2.

Since the school board passed the result statements unanimously, the next stage, according to Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson, will be for school district administrators to offer their perspectives, the creation of more teams, and finally for the plan to be presented back to the original 30-member group.

Before introducing Newtown High School Social Studies Department Chair Candace Dietter and Newtown Middle School social studies teacher Andrew SanAngelo to the school board, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Linda Gejda said the curricula being presented to the board was concept-based.

“This is really the bar in teaching and learning that we want to aim for,” said Dr Gejda.

Dr Gejda said providing facts for students will not be useful when they become adults.

The school board passed four curricula during their meeting.

“Kudos to the social studies department for taking this on,” said Dr Gejda, and added that Ms Dietter and Mr SanAngelo lead the discussion at the two schools.

In other business, Board of Ed Chair Elaine McClure said she thought long about who ask to represent the school board with herself during negotiations with the teachers union scheduled for this summer.

“We need experience,” she said, “and we need experienced negotiators.”

She asked David Nanavaty to represent the school board with her during the contract negotiations.

“This is not a negotiation that will be done by the two of us,” said Ms McClure, and went on to describe the process for board members who were not on the board during previous negotiations.

During an update on the NHS expansion project, Dr Robinson said the work has started off smoothly.

“Our security is making sure all the guidelines are being adhered to at this point,” said Dr Robinson.

Nonunion Salaries Passed

After conducting an executive session, the school board returned and passed contracts for nonunion salaries in the district, approximately 40 individuals, including Dr Robinson, Dr Gejda, Director of Business Ron Bienkowski, Director of Human Resources Joan Libby, Director of Facilities Gino Faiella, Director of Transportation Tony Dilonardo, and administrative assistant to the superintendent Kathy June.

Along with other members of the school district, Dr Robinson and Dr Gejda had previously opted to not take a salary increase for next year. After coming back from executive session the school board voted not to decrease Dr Robinson or Dr Gejda’s salaries either, and used furlough days and a percentage increase in salary to maintain their current salaries, in order to continue to contribute the retirement fund.