Board of Education Update – August Meeting Highlights

Last night, my husband and I attended the Board of Education meeting to learn more about where we are headed in this new school year. I had already read all of the minutes posted on the school website from last year's meetings, but there's so much more you can get from actually sitting through one of these meetings. Thank you for following along with my journey and commitment to serving Pomfret’s students, families, and educators. Here are the key takeaways I gathered from the most recent Board of Education meeting:

Meeting Attendance

We had great representation at this meeting, including all of the Board members, our Superintendent of Schools, as well as a few community members in the audience. Community involvement matters, and it was encouraging to see so many invested in the future of our schools.

Student Safety and Social-Emotional Support

Safety remains a top priority for the district. They discussed social contracts with teachers and discussed updated safety goals and procedures, including reunification drills. Pomfret School is our designated meeting place in the case of an emergency where the kids need to be brought off-site. These drills are designed to ensure that in the event of an emergency, students can be safely and quickly reunited with their families.

On the staffing front, we said goodbye to Ms. Salvas, who retired after years of service and will be greatly missed. We welcomed Piper Raymond, a seasoned school psychologist with 35 years of experience, joining us three days a week. Additionally, the district has hired a new social worker to strengthen student support services.

We are still actively searching for a speech and language pathologist. Given the current shortage in this field, the district may need to work with a contractor to fill the position.

High School & Program Updates

The contract with Putnam High School has been updated to allow Pomfret students to attend for a little over $12,000 per student, which also includes transportation. This is a HUGE savings to Pomfret as compared to the alternative options. Putnam High is a great option for 8th graders and their parents looking to have a smaller, more intimate high school experience versus attending one of the larger options available to them. Some children thrive under more options for leadership, sports, and smaller classes, so this is something we should be sharing with the parents of 8th-grade students this year.

Financial Updates

• Food Services: Eastconn surprised the district with unpaid bills, resulting in the board covering costs for students who owed money for meals. Unfortunately, parents were not notified in time and we would like to have a better plan going forward to address this issue.

• Auditor Findings: A past grant management issue came to light. Several years ago, a former grant manager used funds from the wrong grant to cover bills. This left the district owing approximately $12,000 to the town, which has since been paid. Auditors will be at Town Hall next Thursday for this year's audit.

• Current Budget Status: According to Michael Cummings, the district is in “good shape on the budget right now.”

We also discussed the non-lapsing fund, which needs to be revisited and updated to better serve the district in future years and so that the town and the board do not have figures for that account that do not match again in the future.

Facilities & Maintenance

• Inspection Report: Recently completed, though no copies were shared. Brent assured us that all critical items were fixed within a week.

• Playground: Insurance adjuster evaluated the playground and determined it has five years of life left.

• Roof: Also has about 5 years left on it.

• Sewer: Will need to be addressed in the near future.

• MANY UPDATES: Updates made over the summer included the walkway and grading, blacktop, drainage, fence around the generator, resource officer cubicle, removed burlap walls that revealed mold behind them, sheetrock, new $25K steamer in kitchen, refigeration, sealed doors, painted the cupula, refinished the gym floor (DO NOT allow tape on that floor as it voids our warranty), and new shades in the cafeteria.

Additional Notes

• Community Partnerships: Nick suggested meeting with local businesses to explore partnership opportunities and community support for the schools. This could become a quarterly initiative. A list of contributing companies is being compiled.

• Board of Finance: No updates at this time.

• Woodstock Academy: Had $500,000 in budget cuts.

• Bylaws: The Board’s bylaws, last updated in 2008, will be reviewed in the coming months. Most likely long overdue.

• Curriculum Committee: Has not yet met this year.

Interesting Fact

Did you know that teachers in Connecticut cannot strike? It’s an interesting piece of state law that impacts how labor negotiations are handled.

Looking Ahead

There’s plenty of work to do, but we’re moving in a positive direction—strengthening safety, improving transparency, and building partnerships. Win or lose, I’ll continue to share these updates so you can stay informed and engaged in the decisions shaping our schools.

Thank you for being part of this journey. If you have any questions or ideas, I’d love to hear from you!

NEXT BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 @ 6:30 PM IN THE PCS LIBRARY

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