Newcomer Bill Hart Excited To Start On School Board

By Eliza Hallabeck

Newtown resident and parent Bill Hart said this week that he is excited to start his new position on the Board of Education.

On July 16 the board voted 4-1 to select Mr Hart for the position, which had been vacated by Kathleen Chrystie. Ms Christie, in turn, had been brought onto the board in late October after the same position was vacated by Lorraine Santore.

Mr Hart said he learned about the position through work on one of the committees for the school board’s Strategic Planning Committee. Mr Hart attended meetings of the Capital Improvement Plan action committee for the Strategic Plan, which Ms Chrystie oversaw.

After learning from Ms Chrystie about her family’s plan to move to Europe, Mr Hart said he began to think about the open position on the board.

The more he thought about it, he said, he realized as a parent and a resident of Newtown, “I am very active in the schools.”

The Hart family moved to Newtown 15 years ago after his wife Kathleen “did the big search.” When they moved from Stamford to Newtown, the school district was their number one reason for choosing Newtown, he said.

Kathleen Hart passed away two years ago. Now as a single parent with three daughters — Alex, an NYU student; Bri, a freshman at Newtown High School; and Colleen, a student at Newtown Middle School — Mr Hart said he feels lucky to be at a stage in his life where he can work part-time from home.

Oldest daughter Alex went through the entire Newtown school system from kindergarten, and each of the Hart girls attended Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Mr Hart’s parents followed the family to Newtown shortly after their move, and from their experience Mr Hart say he understands what it is like to live in town on a fixed income. He said he plans to bring his experience as a parent, his understanding of Newtown from his parents’ experience, and his working experience to the position on the school board.

“I’ve got a lot of experience managing large projects,” he said, “and managing personnel.”

Since 2002 Mr Hart has worked as an independent consultant specializing in systems and software engineering for Lone Oak Technologies, LLC. Other work experience includes several positions for Pitney Bowes over 17 years and a manager for General Electric Co.

Residents may also know Mr Hart from his blog, FatheringOn.com, where discusses solo parenting, health care, and life.

Decision Time

On July 17, Board of Education Chair Elaine McClure announced Mr Hart as one of three candidates interviewed for the position. The night before, on July 16, Ms McClure, Lillian Bittman, Richard Gaines, and David Nanavaty voted for Mr Hart; Kathryn Fetchick was the sole opposing vote.

Lillian Bittman has known Mr Hart for 14 years. As neighbors, Ms Bittman was a close friend to Kathleen Hart.

Ms Bittman takes responsibility for recommending Mr Hart to participating with the Strategic Planning Committee’s Capital Improvement Plan committee, but said she was unaware he was a candidate for the open school board position until she arrived to the interview meeting on July 16.

“I think he will be a wonderful addition,” Ms Bittman said of the school board’s newest member. She added that with three daughters either in and out of the school system, he has a good connection to the district.

Board member Richard Gaines said Mr Hart will make a good replacement for Kathleen Chrystie.

“We’re really looking forward to Bill joining the board,” Mr Gaines said, “and I think he has a lot to offer.”

Other members of the school board were unavailable for comment before this edition of The Bee went to press.

While Mr Hart’s position on the board will end in December, he said he plans to run again for the position.

This will be Mr Hart’s first involvement in town politics, as he explained it, and said he has no intention to become a partisan member. Decisions on the board, he said, should not be decided along party lines. (See “Newtown Dems, Republicans Cross-Endorse Incumbent BOF,” page A-1 this week.)

“An awful lot of the school board is managing and execution,” Mr Hart said, adding that he has the experience to do this.

Mr Hart said he is looking forward working on the school board, and said he will also try to attend as many meetings of other town boards and committees as he can. Being involved, he said, is important to maintaining “a good board.”

“I’m honored that the board selected me,” said Mr Hart, adding that he is excited to be even more involved in the community of Newtown.