School Bd Honors Departing Chairman

By Eliza Hallabeck

There was a larger crowd than usual in the Reed Intermediate School library on Tuesday, November 17, for the Board of Education’s regular meeting.

Principals from the district were gathered, flowers waited on the school board’s set-up table, and a special visitor waited to thank school board Chair Elaine McClure for her 12 years of service to the Newtown school system.

“I think the Newtown schools are far better for what she has done,” said Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson, after taking over the introduction to the school board’s meeting, a task typically overseen by the board chair.

“I love what I did,” said Ms McClure after being presented with flowers and a present from the school board and schools, “and it has been a great 12 years.”

Former superintendent of schools Evan Pitkoff attended Tuesday’s meeting to tell Ms McClure her time on the board had been appreciated.

“No chair I have ever worked with has been as receptive to working with the public,” said Dr Pitkoff.

He continued to say that Ms McClure was always there for the school system during the 12 years she was a member of the board.

“There were countless board meetings,” he said, “many of which went past midnight.”

Of her 12 years on the school board, Ms McClure was chair for ten of them. During those years, as Dr Pitkoff noted, Ms McClure oversaw the growth in the school system of roughly 1,400 students, and a seventh school was added to the existing six schools in the Newtown Public Schools system. And the Board of Education offices moved four times, most recently to its current location at 3 Primrose Street.

“Throughout it all you were the constant,” said Dr Pitkoff. “The fact the schools of Newtown have such a wonderful reputation statewide clearly are attributed to you, because you have been a constant when all else changed. And because your children had already left the school system, it was clear you had no personal agenda. Your only agenda was to provide the best quality of education and to help improve the schools.”

Tuesday night’s meeting would have also been the last school board meeting for member Anna Wiedemann, had she not been absent due to illness.

The next board meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, December 1, will be the first for new members Debbie Leidlein and Christopher Lagana.

After Ms McClure opened her present, a dish with an image of children that said “To Honor your service to education,” the board began the regular process of its scheduled meeting.

Newtown High School Principal Charles Dumais gave a brief account of where the Newtown High School expansion project is now. He began by telling the board about three panoramic photos of the site, compiled by a computer, which are available on his blog, www.dumais.us/newtown/blog.

The concrete slab of the A-wing has been poured, he said, and the electrician is on site.

“They are about to spray fireproofing on the steel,” said Mr Dumais.

The steel is also mostly done, and, he said; for the most part the crane is still in place on the site from a lack of anywhere else to put it. The tennis courts have received a first layer of asphalt, but, due to the quickly decreasing temperature, the courts will not be completed until the spring. Mr Dumais said alternatives are being explored.

The greenhouse, which was taken apart to be moved, is also causing a snag in the project, because, as he explained to the board, the manufacturer of the green house will need to be called in to put it back together.

In her superintendent’s report, Dr Robinson said meetings for the school board could be moved to the Newtown Municipal Center by January.

Dr Robinson also said the school district will be reporting absentee numbers from the individual Newtown Public Schools on the district’s website, www.newtown.k12.ct.us, as parents continue to call and report their children out of school for flu, flulike, and fever symptoms.

“In all, the schools are trending way down now,” said Dr Robinson, and added she hoped this meant the district is now on the downside of the six- to eight-week projected flu cycle.

The school board also reviewed the yearly Strategic School Profiles that will be filed with the state, but held off voting on them until its next meeting.

In other business, the board voted to approve the Connecticut State Department of Education School Improvement Plan for Newtown Middle School to address the Adequate Yearly Progress.

The board also unanimously approved the financial report and transfers, as presented by Interim Director of Finance Diane Raymo, who explained the new format for the financial report.

According to the report, “Providing current financial information to the Board of Education is essential in order to remain within the allotted budget while maintaining a financial spending plan that meets the mission and goals of the Newtown Board of Education.”

Ms Raymo said the new format of the financial report and transfers will help to make a running record of board decisions.

“This model is going to get you where you are going,” Ms Raymo said, and added the new format is a good first start.