By James Lomuscio

Westport’s Representative Town Meeting (RTM) tonight unanimously approved the Board of Education’s $100.38 million budget for 2012-13, a final approval that came with plaudits for submitting a flat budget while maintaining a top school system.

Board of Education Chair Don O’Day addresses the Representative Town Meeting tonight. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

In addition to approving the school budget submitted by the Board of Finance, the RTM also unanimously set the overall town budget—including the municipal government’s $87.81 million budget unanimously approved Monday night—at $188,201,587.

The last stop in the budget process, the RTM’s unanimous nod to the schools seemed a fait accompli following ringing endorsements from Velma Heller, who heads the legislative body’s education committee, as well as from Allen S. Bomes of the RTM’s finance committee.

Bomes said his only suggestion was for the school board to consider raising revenue through the rental of school facilities, rentals that would not conflict with school activities.

Westport’s Staples High School ranks fifth in the state in the U.S. News rankings released today of the nation’s top high schools. Nationally, Staples was ranked No. 302.

U.S. News said while the previous high school rankings published in December 2009 included information on 1,800 schools, the 2012 rankings include data on almost 22,000 public high schools.

In Connecticut, the top ranked schools and their national rankings were:

1. (14 nationally) Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy, East Hartford;

2. (200) Conard High School, West Hartford

3. (226) Ridgefield High School

4. (270) Weston High School

5.  (302) Staples High School

6. (322) William H. Hall High School, West Hartford

7. (324) Darien High School

8. (335) Wilton High School

9. (340) Simsbury High School

10. (344) Farmington High School

By James Lomuscio

Dr. Adam Rosen, assistant principal at Ridgefield’s East Ridge Middle School, has been appointed principal of Bedford Middle School (BMS) effective July 1, Westport Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon announced at tonight’s Board of Education meeting.

New Bedford Middle School Principal Adam Rosen addresses tonight’s Board of Education meeting at Staples High School. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Chosen during a board executive session, Rosen will replace Melissa Kay, BMS principal for the past two years, who will be leaving effective June 30. (See WestportNow March 14, 2012)

In March, Kay announced that she would be leaving to head a private American elementary school on the outskirts of Rome, Italy.

Landon described Rosen, who holds a doctorate in education from Southern Connecticut State University, as an educator with a strong science background, having worked for the U.S. Geological Survey, the Smithsonian Institution, as a science teacher at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford and having served on the state Department of Education’s science advisory panel.

A team of students from Westport’s Staples High School has won a fifth place berth among more than 900 competing schools in a Math Challenge competition sponsored by Moody’s Foundation. The students showed off a replica of their $5,000 prize at tonight’s Board of Education meeting. Pictured (l-r) are Staples math teacher Trudy Denton, Michael Menz, David Haswell, Constance Zhou and Robert Perry. Staples senior Matthew Silver had to leave the meeting early and is missing from the photo. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Westport Board of Education member Mark Mathias (standing) distributed t-shirts from the successful inaugural Mini Maker Faire he presided over on Saturday on Jesup Green. “We expected 800 to attend,” he said. “We attracted 2,000.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

By James Lomuscio

Even with the Westport school system’s stellar reputation as a “lighthouse district,” school administrators are ratcheting up the curriculum here to prepare students to compete globally as thinkers, innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders.

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon addresses tonight’s meeting at the Westport Public Library. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

That was the thrust of “Westport2025: Meeting the Global Challenge,” a presentation that drew 40 parents, school board members and the curious to the McManus Room at the Westport Public Library tonight.

“We recognize that we in the United States are at a disadvantage when you look at countries like China and Finland,” said Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon, who launched the Westport2025 initiative.

“But we are a lighthouse district,” he added, noting that other school systems often look to Westport to follow its lead on successful educational approaches.

Westport’s Bedford Middle School participated in Autism Speak’s worldwide “Light It Up Blue” event to create awareness for Autism. Eighth grader Ben Goldstein (c) organized the week-long campaign with the school’s Blue-Gold Council. They encouraged students to wear blue clothing items and sold Autism Speaks wristbands, raising $1,090. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

The Westport Representative Town Meeting (RTM) Education Committee met tonight to consider the Board of Education’s proposed $100.2 million budget for 2012-13, an amount that jumps to $114.3 million when debt service is added. Class size was again a subject of discussion, just as it was at the Board of Finance in recent weeks. The committee voted unanimously to recommend RTM approval. The full RTM meets to vote on the budget beginning May 7. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com