The Board of Education approved on May 19 a pilot child care program that will be available for district staff and heard a report from a Climate and Culture Committee.

Superintendent of Schools Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, first introduced the idea of offering a child care program in Newtown for district staff at the school board’s meeting on February 17. At that meeting, Dr Erardi explained Monroe Learning Center Director Dawn Ryan was there to present a possible child care program for Newtown, similar to the one she oversees in Monroe, which is based at Chalk Hill Middle School where Sandy Hook Elementary School is housed.

At last week’s meeting, the Board of Education, Dr Erardi said, was presented with a one-year pilot child care program for newborn to 32-month-old children in a two-classroom space at Reed Intermediate School for the 2015-16 school year.

Board of Education Secretary Kathy Hamilton asked Ms Ryan about changes to the planned program since it was first presented to the school board in February, including the board being more responsible for the space, personnel, and insurance needed for the program.

“My concern is taking all that on at this point with all the other things that we have on our plate,” said Ms Hamilton.

While Ms Hamilton said she thought the program would offer a terrific service for the district’s staff, she also said she would support the program more if it was structured like a subcontractor relationship with the district.

Board member David Freedman agreed with Ms Hamilton, and he recommended the school board look at different models for child care programs before making its decision.

Dr Erardi said he, too, preferred a “subcontractor” relationship for the child care services, but said a number of factors, including timing and the need to pilot the program, led to the proposal before the board.

“If we were going to launch anything for the next school year, the only opportunity to do so would be under the umbrella of the school board,” said Dr Erardi.

While the superintendent said the child care pilot program would require Board of Education oversight, he also said it would have Ms Ryan’s expertise and a review would be made after the first trimester of the 2015-16 school year.

Multiple board members offered their support for the program, including Michelle Ku, who noted the value the program would have for staff members.

While school board Vice Chair Laura Roche said she agreed with comments made by Ms Hamilton and Mr Freedman, she also said she believes Dr Erardi “has shown us that he is really going to stay on top of this.”

Before the new Sandy Hook Elementary School building opens, Ms Roche suggested reevaluating the child care program to better understand its needs and whether it is something the board would like to continue.

After Ms Hamilton voiced concern about spending money on a new program, Dr Erardi noted the program will be a “cost-break-even” at first.

“This should not be in any way an expense to the school board,” said Dr Erardi, explaining that there is a base enrollment needed for the program to run.

The pilot program passed the school board in a 5-2 vote with Ms Hamilton and Mr Freedman voting against the motion.

Climate And Culture Committee Report

The school board also heard a presentation from a Climate and Culture Committee during its meeting.

A year ago, as Dr Erardi explained, a committee was put together to look into the district’s climate and culture and it included representatives from across the district.

Ms Roche, who represented the school board on the committee, said the committee was formed after Newtown Federation of Teachers union representatives spoke at a May 20, 2014, Board of Education meeting to voice concerns.

“It’s very evident how the culture and climate in our district changed the minute [Dr Erardi] walked into the door,” said Ms Roche, while reflecting on the efforts of the committee and the district over the last year.

While Ms Roche said there is more work for the committee to do, she said, “I think we are in a much better place.”

The presentation, which was introduced by Newtown Federation of Teachers President Tom Kuroski, included examples of efforts the committee has made over the last year, including sending out multiple surveys and responding to the feedback. Other efforts, according to the presentation, have included a new teacher cohort that met with administrators throughout the school year, teacher forum meetings to have teachers meet and share “how things are going in the district,” as Mr Kuroski said, and an aspiring administrators cohort, which is facilitated by Dr Erardi and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Linda Gejda.

Near the end of the presentation, Mr Kuroski said the committee will reconvene either during or before the 2015-16 school year to continue its efforts across the district.