Westport’s Board of Education voted 4-3 Monday night to retain the changed start times of 7:30 a.m. at Coleytown Middle School and 8 a.m. at Coleytown Elementary School beginning next month to save money. They had been 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. respectively. The start times at other schools remain unchanged. The vote came after two hours of discussion and pleas from many in the audience of about 150 to reverse their earlier decision. Voting in favor of no change were Democrats Sandra Urist (chair) and Steve Halstead and Republicans Cheryl Bliss and Mark Owades. Voting to reverse the decision were Democrats Mary Parmelee and Neil Gerhardt and Republican Linda Merk-Gould. Several in the audience booed after the vote and some shouted “recall, recall.” WestportNow.com photo
