While much of the Tuesday, September 3, Board of Education meeting revolved around the Facilities Study presentation delivered by Director of Facilities John Barlow, the Board also discussed the June 30, 2024, year-end financial report, the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), and updating former Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr JeanAnn Paddyfote's contract.

In regards to the year-end financial report and transfers, Director of Business and Finance Tanja Gouveia said that they have an unattended balance of $250,902, but to keep in mind that the amount is unaudited and will not become final until around December. The Board approved the year-end financial report and transfers in a unanimous vote.

The BOE and Barlow also briefly touched on the CIP. Barlow said that they are "going to be fine" with the CIP since many of the items it covers also appear as key immediate needs in the Facilities Study. This lets the board take and readjust the CIP to those needs and put them in the CIP towards the next several years.

"So that's gonna be for you guys to have some discussions and try to figure out how we're going to make those numbers tangible through those first five years, which are really the more important five years than the next five, and how we are gonna move those things around," Barlow said.

BOE Chair Alison Plante said that, as with any long-term plan, they expect more precision in the next few years, while they expect to have a little less precision in the years beyond that. All of the items that Barlow outlined as part of the Facilities Study presentation are above $200,000 and, in turn, are all CIP-related.

After some additional discussion, Plante said that the Board would talk more about the CIP at their Tuesday, September 17, meeting and later present it to the Board of Finance on Tuesday, October 8. She adds that if the Board does not feel ready to vote on it during the September 17 meeting that they have another meeting on Thursday, October 3 to act as a buffer if necessary.

Then, in a unanimous vote, the BOE made an addendum to Paddyfote's employment contract so she can act as a transition administrator through Friday, November 1. Paddyfote has agreed to stay with the district until this time, which Plante says is especially important as the district does not currently have an assistant superintendent and is still hiring for that role.

As a transition administrator, Plante says Paddyfote will work on completing a list of tasks for the district, including a full assessment of policies, an update to faculty and student handbooks, job descriptions, as well as giving the Board a blueprint to improve district communications, all while supporting new Superintendent of Schools Anne Uberti as she transitions into the role.

The meeting ended with Former Superintendent of Schools John Reed, who served in the position for nearly 30 years, speaking during public presentation. Reed started by saying that it was funny to be sitting at the back of the room with a million thoughts, and expressed various concerns to the board, such as the cost of postponing school improvements.

"One of the things I used to speculate with the BOE is what is the cost of a postponement? It's easy to want to postpone because the pressure is there every year to keep down the local tax rate and keep up the fiscal responsibility of our bond rating .. but nobody every talks about what's the increased cost of our postponements," Reed said.

Reed continued by saying that, while not necessarily directed at the current BOE, or at former boards, that he is concerned about the continuous movement of superintendents in and out of the district, and that there needs to be a consistent leadership. He emphasized that the Board is the foundation for the success of the superintendent, and that everyone needs to be able to come together and agree on how to get things done.

"I love this town. Although I don't work for you guys anymore, the school system is something that is a part of me. I have very strong emotions about it," Reed said. "I've been a superintendent of schools for over 30 years in several different school systems ... We will never be a district that seriously addresses and strives to achieve quality without consistency of leadership over a protracted period of time."

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.