Lists Three Main Concerns—

Accrediting Panel Gives NHS ‘Warning Status’

By Laurie Borst

The Board of Education announced this week that the Commission on Public Secondary Schools had assigned Newtown High School a “warning status,” reflecting concerns the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) expressed in a report in December 2005.

The status notification does not currently affect the high school’s accreditation. In its report, NEASC commended NHS in many areas, but it cited numerous issues in need of serious attention.

Its three main areas of concern are: mission alignment with expectations and curriculum; facilities; and resources. Now that the school has received the report, it has until January 2007 to report back to NEASC with evidence that it has begun to address these problems.

Board of Education Chair Elaine McClure explained, “The important thing is the NEASC report says these are the things you need to fix. Two of the three things we need to fix are the funding and the facilities. The other has to do with our mission statement. The report says if we do not fix them, we could go on probation next year.”

The commission’s warning status notification came in a May 1 letter to Newtown High School Principal Arlene Gottesman. Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff forwarded the letter to the school board in a memo dated May 10. The school board released the information at its May 16 meeting, providing timely evidence of need as it pushes for this year’s budget approval after two referendum defeats.

NHS Principal Gottesman has served on evaluation committees in the past. Since receiving the report, she said, “The mission statement alignment with graduation requirements and curriculum is being worked on. New steering committee chairs are in place, as original committee members have retired or moved to other districts. But the work is being done.

“We’ll be looking at the school facilities needs. That needs resources from the community. We can’t do much with the facilities. That takes the entire community to help us. The warning status is an awakening. We are on warning for the mission and expectations, the curriculum which the teachers and administration can do due diligence to, but this community resources is something that is out of our hands. We appeal to the community to help us. We do not want an outstanding school system to be put on probation.”

If a school on warning does not show improvement, the school is put on probation. Warning does not affect accreditation of a school. Schools usually work their way off warning status barring challenging problems related to facilities or financing.

The school’s warning status will next be reviewed when the Commission on Public Secondary Schools considers the Special Progress Report. The report is submitted in January. In March, it is reviewed and at that time the group will determine if NHS is off warning, on probation, or a likely scenario is remain on warning for an extended period of time.

Some of the areas cited in the report include:

éinadequate staffing levels and the impact on course offerings

éthe number of overenrolled classes

éthe limited extent to which the budget provides adequate/sufficient instructional materials and supplies

éthe significant lack of technology available

éthe significant overcrowding and space concerns

éthe absence of any plan by the town to address the serious space issue

éthe lack of adequate storage and the resultant practice of storing items off-site which might not be delivered for two to three days following requests

éthe serious space limitations and overcrowding conditions in the unattractive cafeteria

éthe limited level of custodial staffing

éthe disparities in temperature throughout the facility

éthe lack of technical support for computer equipment

éthe delays in some facilities repairs due to fiscal constraints

éthe elimination from the budget of repeated requests for additional custodial staffing

The report cites “the inequitable requirement that students pay the $85 AP [advanced placement] testing fee.” This past year, 447 students took AP tests. This equates to approximately $38,000, which would have to be considered in future budgets.

The commission was equally concerned with “inadequate and inconsistent level of funding to provide and maintain the school’s programs and services, staffing levels, technology, facilities, space, and equipment particularly given the school’s ability to fund education based on the Connecticut Department of Education’s economic ranking of Newtown.”

Superintendent Pitkoff said, “If [the budget] doesn’t pass, it is not the case that we won’t do a couple of building projects and that’s that. Some existing positions may have to be cut. That will impact class size. We may have to extend the length of bus rides. Reed needs two positions, which it probably won’t get. A ‘0.2 position’ for the gifted program probably won’t happen.”

Dr Pitkoff added, “We won’t have turnover in staff as in the past. For several years, we’ve had 10–12 retirees. To date, I know of only five retirees.” Retirees are at relatively high pay grades and are usually replaced with younger, lower paid teachers, which results in savings.

Immediate high school needs include: 3.5 teaching positions, an assistant principal off-set by the elimination of the dean of students position, two half-time secretarial positions, additional computers, 0.5 custodial position. The leasing of modulars, and the concomitant setup and furnishings costs, are essential at the high school.

Ms McClure noted, “Athletic fees that were decreased may have to be raised again, maintenance that needs to be done may have to be put off. We thought we might get a half-time personnel director for such a large district, that doesn’t have much of a chance.”