By James Lomuscio

Westport’s Board of Finance took the Board of Education to task tonight over an internal auditor’s report showing the schools spent an additional $1.65 million for a mold clean up project at the Kings Highway Elementary School without informing the town’s funding bodies.

Flashback to 2007: : Gavin Anderson, who died in 2012, and then First Selectman Gordon Joseloff survey the Kings Highway Elementary School gym where mold was found. Joseloff appointed Anderson to head a panel investigating air quality at the school. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

According to Lynn Scully, internal auditor, more than $4.52 million was spent on the project that ran from 2007 though fiscal year 2013-14, but only $2.87 million had been approved—a $1.65 million overrun the schools managed via transfers within its own budget.

The overrun was due to the fact lead was found in the school, requiring the hiring of a lead abatement contractor, plus arbitration and legal fees, Scully said. She explained the schools transferred the cost increases from its electricity and natural gas accounts to its building maintenance account.

“There was no communication with the town regarding these capital expenditures,” Scully said.

The Daily Beast online website has ranked Westport’s Staples High School as No. 20 in its list of the best high schools in the Northeast and No. 69 nationally.

“We used six indicators culled from school surveys to compare public high schools in the U.S., with graduation and college acceptance rates weighed most heavily,” it said in explaining the rankings.

“Other criteria included: college-level courses and exams, percentage of students with free or reduced lunch, as well as SAT and ACT scores - another mark of how well a school prepares students for college.”

Daily Beast said Staples has an overall rank of 69 in its survey of more than 700 schools.

By James Lomuscio

Westport’s Board of Education tonight unanimously approved asking the Board of Finance for $750,000 to equip key public school personnel with special radios for instant police communication in the event of a security breach or possible attack.

First floor windows of all Westport public schools now have a thin protective security layer held in place by a black seal. This is a window at Staples High School tonight where the Board of Education met. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

“With this system it’s instantaneous,” said Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon, noting that currently teachers and administrators would have to dial 911 in the event of an internal or external attack. “We save 15 to 30 seconds. We have time we never had before.”

Buying time appears to me the focus of the school board’s security measures now entering the next phase, communication.

Over the summer, Landon noted, the school system installed 1,425 high security interior door locks costing $200,000, as well as installing to the tune of $500,000 clear 3M film on each school’s first floor windows and doors to slow down access for those who would do harm to children.

Scenes as Westport students returned to school today after summer vacation. The school population is about 5,700, according to Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon, and 44 teachers are new to the system. Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Janna Bell Sirowich, starting her fifth year as principal of Coleytown Elementary School, today welcomes first day students. Sirowich said she has a new last name this year because she was married in April. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Saugatuck Elementary students today wait for the entrance doors to open at 7:45 a.m. A volunteer said the buses arrived a few minutes earlier than expected. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Carolyn Cassell, 12, smiles as she boards the bus today to Bedford Middle School where she is in the seventh grade. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The new principal of Saugatuck Elementary School, Beth Messler, greets children as they arrive for the first day of school today.  Messler was formerly assistant principal at Coleytown Elementary School. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Coleytown Middle School students—and friend—wait for the school bus today on Half Mile Common on the first day of school. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dawn Shmaruk for WestportNow.com