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BOE Discusses Staff Policy on Social Media and New P.E. Program
The Board met on Dec. 20 to discuss a variety of issues. | Photo by Nicolette Weinbaum '12 Issues taken up by the Westport Board of Education (BOE) at Monday night’s meeting included a new leadership...
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BOE discusses 2025 initiative
The BOE convened on Monday, May 20 to discuss the Westport 2025 initiative and the district’s goals for the upcoming year. The meeting’s primary focus was a presentation by Director of Secondary...
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Schooled on Schoology
On Monday, June 3, Natalie Carrignan, Westport Public Schools Director of Technology, spoke before the Board of Education concerning the switch from Blackboard to Schoology, the learning management...
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Subbing Out: Spending on Substitute Teachers Goes Over Budget
During the 2012-13 school year Westport Public Schools went $222,039, 0.33 percent, over budget on salaries due to an “extensive use of substitute teachers and non-certified staff overtime,” according...
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A Smarter Balance?
On Oct. 7, the Westport Board of Education met at Staples. One of the most pressing issues discussed was the implementation of a new standardized test called Smarter Balanced Assessments, which will...
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Students, parents weigh in on middle school STEM proposal
This Monday, Nov. 25, the Board of Education [BOE] had planned on voting on expanding engineering in the middle schools via the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program. But, after a...
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Board of Education talks budget
On Jan. 6 at 7:30 p.m. the Board of Education (BOE) meeting attracted parents and members of the Westport community due to the current deficit of approximately $2 million. The main topics of the night...
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Blame, solutions swirl around $2 mill shortfall
At the Dec. 11 Board of Finance meeting, news of a shortfall of roughly $1.9 million shook the board. Since then, questions have revolved around who’s to blame and how to make up the deficit. “I was...
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Board of Finance approves proposed BOE budget
Thursday night’s Board of Finance meeting sparked debate and discussion, but ultimately resulted in the approval of the BOE’s proposed budget in a 4-3 vote. The budget proposal, a 4.82 percent increase...
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Board of Education discusses solar energy
On a rainy Monday night, April 7, the Staples cafeteria quickly filled up with concerned AP environmental students for the Board of Education (BOE) meeting. The major topics that were covered included...
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Women’s Advocacy Club campaigns for contraception
Last year, the Staples’ Women’s Advocacy Club (WAC) unveiled their campaign to stock the nurse’s office with condoms. These efforts were met with an overwhelming positive response from students who,...
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Westport warms to possibility of solar panels
Imagine a form of energy that is completely clean, renewable and inexpensive in the long run. It has none of the filth of fossil fuels. Using it on a large-scale basis would allow many people to enjoy...
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Security upgrades cost School Board
In response to the Sandy Hook tragedy, Westport public schools implemented this summer the first half of the Board of Education’s (BOE) $1.4 million plan for school security improvements. Part of this...
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Students required to bring their own devices
On Oct. 20, The Board of Education (BOE) met in the Staples Cafeteria to discuss the “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) Initiative, which requires all students to bring their own technological devices to...
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BOE discusses K-12 start times
On Nov. 17, the Board of Education (BOE) met to discuss the idea of changing elementary, middle and high school starting times. This topic hasn’t been up for debate since 2004; however, the BOE was...
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Hear us out
At Staples, it’s easy for us to meet with a teacher if we’re stuck on a math problem. It’s easy for us to get any book we would ever need from the school library. It’s easy for us to be involved in one...
View ArticleProposed budget for 2015-16 school debated by BOE and Landon
During the February Board of Education meeting, a budget increase was proposed by Superintendent Elliott Landon. The majority of the budget increase goes into two categories: literacy coaches and...
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BOE discusses health survey, continuing ed. and goals
On May 4, the Board of Education (BOE) discussed the results of the Westport/Weston/Wilton Student Health Survey, modifications to Westport Continuing Education and the BOE’s goals for 2015-2016. The...
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Candidate for Principal Withdraws from Consideration
Shelly Somers, the principal of Central Middle School in Greenwich, withdrew herself from consideration for the position of principal at Staples High School. The statement of Somers’ withdrawal was...
View ArticleSuperintendent Landon announces his retirement after 2015-16 school year
Just months after Staples principal John Dodig announced his plans to retire, another public figure in the Westport school system, superintendent Elliott Landon, has announced his intentions to retire...
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Principal search on hold while experts are called in
The search process for finding a new permanent principal at Staples is changing and is currently on hold until directed otherwise. The Board of Education suggested hiring a search firm to effectively...
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February break returns despite state schedule
On March 28, the Westport Board of Education (BOE) voted to keep February break in place for another two years. Until yesterday, the district had been told that this year’s break would be the last, due...
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A Passing of the Reins
Almost any weekday at around 5:30 a.m., if you look out over the Saugatuck River, you’ll see many early bird rowers taking advantage of dawn’s quiet serenity. Among these early risers there’s a face...
View ArticleDistrict staff unifies in response to contract termination decisions
By Lili Romann ’19 and Daniel Harizman ’19 Over 100 Westport Public School District teachers attended the Board of Education meeting Monday, April 23 after 135 non tenured district staff received email...
View ArticleCommunity Advisory Committee recommends options for 2019-20 school year
After extensive research, the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) has recommended three options to the Westport Board of Education (BOE) on how to proceed in the 2019-2020 school year to compensate for...
View ArticlePalmer continues to receive transportation benefits, salary while on medical...
Superintendent Dr. Colleen Palmer will continue to receive her annual base salary and insurance benefits while on leave for medical reasons until her retirement on Aug. 1. Palmer will additionally be...
View ArticleBOE names Stafford Thomas Jr. principal of Staples
The Board of Education unanimously approved Stafford Thomas Jr. as Principal of Staples High School on June 20. The Principal seat was vacated by James D’Amico, who earlier this year announced his...
View ArticleBoard of Education examines redistricting for elementary, middle schools
The Westport Board of Education (BOE) discussed plans to redistrict the elementary and middle schools at a meeting on Sept. 23. Although redistricting would balance out the recent decrease in...
View ArticleThe new redistricting plan creates difficulties for middle school students
Recently with the new redistricting plan to rebuild Coleytown Middle School, the district has come to the decision that there needs to be more enrollment in the Coleytown schools. As a result, the...
View ArticleBoard of Education continues superintendent search, anticipates naming...
The Board of Education (BOE) is continuing its nationwide search for a new superintendent who will resume the responsibilities of Interim Superintendent Dr. David Abbey on July 1. The BOE previously...
View ArticleBOE considers cutting 2 Staples staff positions
The Board of Education (BOE) announced on Jan. 27 that they were considering cutting two teacher positions, one position each English and science departments at Staples High School. Costs accrued for...
View ArticleBOE votes to remove the Innovation Fund
The Board of Education (BOE) voted 5-2 to remove the Innovation Fund funding for the 2020-21 school year in a 5-2 vote during their meeting on Feb. 10 to reduce the budget and because of the lack of...
View ArticleNew school start time frustrates parents
Nearly 500 people have signed a petition in under a month that aims to reverse the 30 minute delayed school start time taking effect next school year. Westport parent Elena Shmonia started the...
View ArticleBOE appoints Thomas Scarice as superintendent
During a virtual meeting on Apr. 2, the BOE unanimously voted to designate the Westport superintendent position to Thomas Scarice, who has been superintendent of Madison Public Schools since 2012. At...
View ArticleWestport schools set to shift to full in-person model despite teacher,...
All Westport Public Schools plan to transition from the hybrid model to a fully in-person school model per Superintendent Thomas Scarice’s directive, the Board of Education (BOE) announced during a...
View ArticleWestport BOE returns to in-person meetings
The Westport Board of Education (BOE) returned to in-person meetings at Staples High School on June 7 for the first time since before the pandemic began in March of 2020. This announcement comes as...
View ArticlePortable classrooms at CES attempt to alleviate overpopulation
Two portable classrooms have been proposed to be added to the Coleytown Elementary School (CES) building, costing the Westport Board of Education approximately $750,000. This is a beginning step in the...
View ArticleWestport BOE debating, soon voting on student member proposal for 2023-24
The Westport Board of Education (BOE) will be tentatively adding two student members to their panel come next school year as a part of the Westport Public Schools district’s strategic plan for next...
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