Goals solid but budgets shaky as schools open

As legislators in Hartford continue to wrestle over school funding in the midst of a budget impasse, school officials are about to begin the school year with few certainties.

The start date was pushed back for students in Torrington’s public schools. Superintendent of Schools Denise Clemons said the decision to start school on Sept. 5, for more than 4,200 students in the district, was motivated by the state budget crisis.

Clemons, who joined the district in January, is launching her first full year with the district by emphasizing instruction after seeing some “stagnation” in Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium scores. Clemons and her team developed a strategic plan, the first in the district since 2014.

Of the district’s seven schools, four will have new principals this year, Clemons said, and the district continues to explore the possibility of shuttering one or two elementary schools if enrollment continues to decrease.

Because of the moving parts in the district, Clemons hosted a meet-and-greet event in Aug. 10, in order to introduce herself and to

open the district to the community.

Last week, Torrington High School freshmen attended orientation, with tours of their new school along with games to acquaint them with their classmates and pizza. About 150 students turned out for the annual event that is intended to relieve first day of school jitters for incoming freshmen.

This week it’s likely that teachers and administrators are taking advantage of the extra time to settle into their classrooms.

In New Haven, one of the uncertainties is enrollment; districts don’t report that number until Oct. 1. But New Haven Public Schools’ Chief Operating Officer Will Clark said the district projects that upwards of 22,000 students will show up for the first day of school.

In a budget narrative submitted to the Board of Alders to ask for greater funding from the city, district officials said the schools will focus on six pillars: academics; social-emotional growth; educators; the school portfolio; family-community engagement and resources stewardship.

“The challenges to Urban Education remain significant, and much more work needs to be done,” the narrative said, asking for an $8 million increase in funding.

One thing in the Elm City’s schools is for certain — Reginald Mayo, interim superintendent, will oversee the first day of school, after the search for a replacement for former Superintendent Garth Harries has run over its original time frame. Originally, the plan was for a fulltime superintendent to be selected before the end of the summer. In June, the Board

of Education voted to extend Mayo’s contract until Dec. 31.

Although several projects remain on the district’s capital improvement plan — patching up West Rock STREAM Academy, Quinnipiac Real World Magnet Math STEM School and High School in the Community and finding a new home for Creed School — Clark said the construction subcommittee has pushed back meetings, choosing to wait for current data on enrollment trends, before taking any action on new buildings.

Ansonia Superintendent Carol Merlone said about 2,350 students will start school on Monday.

“Our goals for the coming school year (are) to improve literacy and math and prepare our student to be collegeand career-ready,” she said in a statement. “We will continue to work on refining instruction and improving student performance. Our focus will also be on supporting our students emotionally and academically by providing them with the love, assistance and encouragement they need to succeed.”

It appears as though Ansonia will not be really impacted by the cuts, she said.

“We made our cuts in programs based on our anticipation of the Alliance Grant going away.”

Like New Haven, Milford will open its doors to students on Monday. District Communications Coordinator Kathryn Bonetti said the district expects 5,773 students in the 2017-18 year.

The district established a list of four-year priorities and goals in 2016, emphasizing school safety, strong academic learning, quality professional development and community engagement.

West Shore Middle School is still under construction, Bonetti said, as one of 125 construction projects pursued over the summer, and students will enter the school on Thursday, three days after the rest of the district. The construction is on schedule to be completed in late spring 2018.

In Middletown, which like New Haven is considered an “Alliance District” for receiving a state grant, Superintendent Patricia Charles said state funding is also a concern.

“As an Alliance district, we rely heavily on these funds to provide the additional resources our students require as we work to close the achievement gap,” Charles said in an email.

On Tuesday, the Middletown Board of Education voted not to lay off any additional teachers, and Charles said the district is looking to fill several paraprofessional vacancies.

“We will continue our focus on equity and valuing the cultural diversity within our classrooms, particularly in light of the events this summer that highlight the racism that continues to exist in our country and the fear that is instilled as a result,” Charles said. “Every child should come to school feeling safe and valued for who they are. As a staff, we must be introspective and look at our own biases and habits to ensure that every student is expected to achieve at high levels and feels cared for in our schools.”

Currently, the district is interviewing superintendent of schools candidates to replace Charles, who previously announced her retirement as of November. Middletown students return to school on Aug. 31.