The forecast of bad weather will cause early dismissal of Westport public schools today and cancellation of after school activities including tonight’s Board of Education meeting.

Staples High School will dismiss at 12:15 p.m.; Bedford Middle School and Saugatuck Elementary School will dismiss at 12:45 p.m.; Coleytown Elementary School, Greens Farms School, Kings Highway Elementary School, and Long Lots Elementary School will dismiss at 1:15 p.m.

For Stepping Stones hours, please refer to the standard early dismissal information posted at http://ssp.westportps.org/.

The Board of Education meeting was rescheduled to Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

By Jarret Liotta

The director of school facilities Tuesday night gave his thumbs-up to a recently completed Master Plan Facilities Study report but could not account for why so many existing school maintenance issues were not previously reported.

Ted Hunyadi, director of facilities, talks to the Board of Education Tuesday night about building maintenance. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com

“I think they did a good job,” Ted Hunyadi told the Board of Education (BOE) in regard to an 869-page report prepared by consultant Antinozzi Associates.

The BOE received it at its Oct. 7, where it was discussed briefly, but has not yet made it public.

According to Michael LoSasso, an architect with the firm, the town’s seven schools, excluding Coleytown Middle School (CMS), have around $96 million in repairs they will need over the next 10 years, with that number adjusted for inflation.

By Jarret Liotta

In order to create more balanced numbers at the two middle schools in coming years, a consultant told the Board of Education (BOE) tonight that Saugatuck Elementary School (SES) would be the best choice as a “split feeder” school.

SES parent David Greeley tells the BOE that the CMS crisis led parents to remove their kids from Westport schools, and that redistricting or creating a split-feeder system at one of the schools, would drive even more away. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com

This would mean roughly half the fifth grade students graduating SES would go on to sixth grade at Coleytown Middle School (CMS) and half would attend Bedford Middle School (BMS).

“In our professional opinion, we think Saugatuck is the most logical choice,” said Patrick Gallagher, planner with Milone & MacBroom.

At the request of the BOE he presented two options, one of which would move 56% of the next SES graduating class to CMS — and another that would move slightly more at 62%.

By Jarret Liotta

Candice Savin, a Democrat who joined the Westport Board of Education (BOE) three years ago, was elected chairperson tonight.

Vice Chair Jeannie Smith looks on at Superintendent of Schools David Abbey congratulates Candice Savin on taking over as the new chair. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com

While the other six members expressed unanimous support for her in principle, Vik Muktavaram abstained from an otherwise unanimous vote because he said he wanted to see a slate voted on that would have included member Karen Kleine as vice chair over Jeannie Smith, who was separately reelected to the post.

“I believe that we have to put what is best for the board … ahead of friendships,” he said, with the slate he favored including Savin, Kleine, and Elaine Whitney, a former chair, maintaining her role as secretary.

“There’s a clamor for change of leadership on the board,” said Muktavaram, who was reelected earlier this month.