School chief off work for weeks

Deputy supt. says it’s vacation; board mum

TORRINGTON — Superintendent of Schools Denise Clemons has not been at work for nearly three weeks despite ongoing school budget meetings for the 2018-19 school year.

Assistant Superintendent Susan Lubomski said on Monday that Clemons has been on vacation since May 10 and would continue to be out of the office for the remainder of this week.

“I will only say that,” Lubomski said after being asked whether a statement from the district’s central office would be released.

Lubomski could not be reached later in the day to provide additional information.

Board of Education Chairwoman Fiona Cappabianca wrote in an email that “the board cannot comment on any personnel matters.”

An agenda for a special board meeting on May 16 — during Clemons’ absence — was unclear as to what personnel matter it referred to. The board went into executive (closed door) session for nearly three hours to address a personnel matter. The meeting agenda said “Executive Session Discussion Regarding an Attorney Client Communication Concerning Steps for Addressing a Personnel Matter.”

Clemons was not in attendance.

Clemons has been on the job for less than two years. She was hired in Nov. 2016 and began the job about two months later in January, 2017. Her salary is $178,500 a year.

A number of personnel changes have occurred during Clemons’ tenure. They include the resignation of board member John Giansanti in March, the firing last September of former middle school Principal Valerie Bruneau and the firing last August of former director of human services, Joseph Campolieta.

Bruneau filed a lawsuit in January claiming that Clemons and the board discriminated against the rights of special education students. Bruneau alleges that she was fired as a retaliation for reporting the issue to administrators. She had worked for the district just over a year.

In a joint meeting of the school board and the Board of Finance on April 30, Clemons said the 2018-19 school budget included a 7 percent increase in the allocation for paraprofessionals for special education.

The need for more special education personnel was one of the concerns Bruneau had reported to administrators.

At the same meeting, Clemons said the district anticipated more than 100 additional students would receive free or reduced lunch programs in the 2018-19 school year. She went on to say “most who are identified (as eligible for the lunch program) fall into the the category” of needed special education assistance.

The next regular meeting of the school board is scheduled for June 27 at Torrington High School.

Clemons