The Board of Education honored retiring staff, CABE student leaders, and the top five percent of Newtown High School’s 2025 graduating class in a Celebration of Excellence during its Tuesday, June 3 meeting.

Family, friends, and colleagues crowded the chairs of Reed Intermediate School’s library for the meeting, excitedly applauding each of the honorees throughout the event. The Celebration of Excellence began with the BOE recognizing the 14 retirees from Newtown Public Schools.

Superintendent of Schools Anne Uberti said the meeting was special not only because they are welcoming new staff members and recognizing student achievement, but also because they are honoring outstanding teachers for their incredible hard work.

“Their dedication to the profession, to Newtown Public Schools, and to all of the many, many students they have taught is very much appreciated, and we wish them health and happiness as they enter this new chapter of their lives,” Uberti said.

Uberti and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Frank Purcaro took turns introducing each of the retirees, calling them to pick up their reward and stand at the front of the room. All of the retirees received a special red gift box tied with a golden ribbon.

Among the 14 retirees are: Newtown High School Italian teacher Laura Battisti, Reed Intermediate School STEM teacher Peter Bernson, Middle Gate Elementary School fourth grade teacher Robyn Cologna, Head O’Meadow Elementary School second grade teacher Rosemarie Costello, Newtown Middle School social studies teacher Phil Cruz, Middle Gate reading teacher Diane Dennis, and NHS FLEX social studies teacher Colleen Ferris-Kimball.

Also retiring are: Sandy Hook Elementary School kindergarten teacher Kathy Gramolini, NHS Director of Visual and Performing Arts Michelle Hiscavich, NMS music teacher Mark Mahoney, SHS reading/language arts consultant Cynthia McArthur, NHS special education teacher Ellen Monroe, RIS sixth grade teacher Julie Shull, and RIS special education teacher Sharon Vetrano.

The 14 retirees have a collective total of 337 years teaching in Newtown, with 387 years in education overall.

CABE Student Leaders, Top 5 Percent

The next group honored at the meeting was the four CABE Student Leadership Award recipients.

Uberti said the award program highlights seventh and eighth grade students, along with high school students, who exhibit exemplary leadership. Two students from each school in a CABE member district are eligible to receive the award.

School principals are requested to ask staff for the names of students who exhibit various leadership skills such as willingness to take on challenges, capability to make difficult decisions, a concern for others, according to Uberti.

The principal then completes the application and includes the names in a brief biography of students being nominated to receive the award.

This year's winners were NMS eighth grade students Devyn Elliott and Eduardo Magalhaes and NHS seniors Rachel Calorossi and Nathan Twitchell.

The Celebration of Excellence concluded by honoring the demi-decile students, or top five percent, graduating from NHS this spring.

NHS Principal Kimberly Longobucco had the honor of officially introducing these students to the Board and the audience. She called the students up one by one and handed them their award, later asking them what their plans were for college.

The list of the 2025 demi-decile students, including the valedictorian and salutatorian, can be seen in The Newtown Bee article, "NHS Announces Top Five Percent Of Class Of 2025," published online and in its Friday, May 9 issue.

Appointment Of Elementary School Assistant Principals

The BOE unanimously voted to accept Superintendent of Schools Anne Uberti’s recommendation to appoint Alison Carmody, Laura Esposito, and Kelly MacLaren as elementary school assistant principals with special education oversight.

Carmody is the Assistant Principal of John Trumbull Primary School in Watertown, Esposito is the Acting Pre-K to 4th Grade Special Education Advisor of Newtown Public Schools, and MacLaren is the Lead Teacher of Sandy Hook Elementary School.

These are among several new positions added into the 2025-26 budget, and are reallocations of the current four lead teachers at the elementary schools, as well as the elementary supervisor of special education.

Uberti said they had an exceptional number of applicants for the positions. There were 105 applications from external candidates and another 7 from internal candidates — a total of 112 applicants.

Uberti referred to the candidates as “one of the strongest applicant pools I’ve ever had the pleasure of interviewing." Five of the candidates were moved to the next level and interviewed by Uberti, Purcaro, and BOE Chair Alison Plante.

“And the three [candidates] are here tonight because they truly are exceptional in their skill set,” Uberti said. “I congratulate you, and I look forward to working with you for many years to come.”

Transportation Contract

The BOE unanimously voted to award the bid for out-of-district special education transportation to Ambassador Incorporated at Connecticut Transportation Solutions.

Gouveia said that EdAdvance has been Newtown Public School's vendor for out-of-district special education transportation for the last five years. However, its contract with the district will come to an end June 30 of this year.

Gouveia said they released a 44-page Request for Proposal (RFP) containing general boiler plate language, as well as language specific to the special education transportation business, that was published in The Newtown Bee, The News-Times, the Town website, and sent to 10 potential vendors.

They had a question-and-answer period from April 14-18, with bids due on April 25. The term was changed from a five-year contract to a three-year contract with an optional two-year extension.

Gouveia noted that the bid requires proof of different bonding insurance requirements, information on the quality and stability of the program, driver recruitment safety and training program, and references.

Only two vendors responded, with only one vendor — Ambassador — submitted for all of the district's requested runs. The other provider who responded was a smaller provider who only offered to cover 3 runs out of around 25 potential runs.

Gouveia clarified that they put in runs they were not currently doing, and that these were just potential runs.

She added that Ambassador looks "pretty good" and competitive in the current transportation landscape, with the references the district contacted backing up that perception.

With Ambassador coming in with its bid, Gouveia said they budgeted for $1,266,000. However, the bid came in roughly around $1,323,000.

Gouveia said there are many factors to the bid, as the transportation configuration change, and that Ambassador offers a 60 percent discount with shared runs with neighboring districts.

If the BOE voted down this particular bid, Gouveia said NPS's out-of-district special education transportation would then be open market.

Plante said that, in order words, they would have to "line up each and every run on an ad hoc basis, versus having a provider that would cover everything."

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