New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
School staffers ‘Ansonia Strong’
ANSONIA — Superintendent of Schools Joseph DiBacco and his entire school staff want everyone to know that they are “Ansonia Strong.”
With a new school year underway, the district is showing unity by having all employees wear blue “We Are Ansonia Strong” Tshirts to school the first Friday of every month.
The shirts were created not only to honor the district’s late, longtime food services director, Dom Golia, but to also signify how the district and its staff emerged stronger than ever following a rather tumultuous year.
A bitter battle between the school district and the city over a $600,000 budget snafu waged on for nearly a year. The school board sued the city, alleging the Board of Aldermen’s removal of $600,000 it initially approved in the 201718 education budget was illegal under the state’s Minimum Budget Requirement law. The aldermen removed the money after state aid to the school district came in higher than expected, but less than what the district requested.
In the end, and after an investigation by the State Board of Education, the city and school district agreed to a mediated settlement in February in which the city provided the school board with $850,000 in its 201819 budget, and $800,000 as the minimum budget require
ment in the 201920 school budget.
“The Ansonia Strong Tshirts are a statement about the importance of being part of a team,” said DiBacco. “Dom Golia, our food services director who passed away in June, was always impressed by the strength of the Ansonia staff. We felt that the wording on the Tshirts encapsulated what he thought about Ansonia as a staff and as a community.”
When the more than 250 school employees returned to work, just two days before students returned Aug. 28, all were provided with the “Ansonia Strong” shirts.
“It’s a positive message,” DiBacco said.”We’re moving forward and we’re hoping that it represents the vision that we have for our students and staff: We are all in this together, and our current and future successes are a result of being Ansonia Strong.”
Matthew Hough, teachers union president, recently penned a Letter to the Editor about the Tshirts, saying in part, “For me, Ansonia Strong has a deeper meaning. It represents the struggles we have been through, yet how far we have come in the last year.”
Hough said he couldn’t be happier about hiring of new staff over the summer, including six elementary teachers, five middle school teachers, an assistant principal and a school secretary, especially when major layoffs were looming as a result of the budget crisis.
DiBacco said the shirts were created by two of Golia’s friends and colleagues. Vin Pastore, the district’s network director, and Bob Evans, director of facilities, worked behind the scenes with DiBacco to ensure the shirts gave a clear and positive message.
“I was proud to be part of this,” said Pastore. “It was all very positive. People were excited to get something and to feel appreciated. I’m looking forward to the road ahead, and I hope we do more things like this.”