By Jennifer Connic

There may be security changes at the eight schools in Westport soon, but most of those changes will not be noticeable.

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon said a consultant recently completed a review of the school system’s security and issued a report to the Board of Education.

Because the matter concerns security in the school system, he could not give details what was included in the report, but each of the recommended items could be completed, Landon said.

“It all matters how much we want to spend,” he said.

By Jennifer Connic

The Westport Board of Education now faces a large surplus in its budget after approving a plan for full-day kindergarten, and Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon hopes his original budget proposal is restored.

The board approved a plan this week to have three full days of kindergarten and two shorter days for students, and the plan could bring $390,000 in transportation savings because there would not need to be the mid-afternoon kindergarten transportation run.

Landon said the school board will need to have discussions on what to do with the savings because some of it could be used to accomplish transportation goals.

“One of the board’s goals is to look into tracking systems for the vehicles,” he said. “We may also look at (Global Positioning Systems) and sensors for the buses. And then there is the question of maintaining a sufficient number of drivers for the long-term.”

Board of Education members Donald O’Day, Michael McGovern, Mark Mathias and Jim Marpe listen to a speaker on the full-day kindergarten program during Monday’s school board meeting. The board voted in favor of the proposal. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jennifer Connic for WestportNow.com
By Jennifer Connic

Updated The Westport Board of Education Monday night voted in favor of a controversial proposal that has kindergarteners attending three full days of school and two extended days of school.

The board voted just before midnight 5-1 with one member abstaining. Kristin LaFleur voted against the proposal, and Mark Mathias abstained.

Students would attend three days of school from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and attend school for two days when the day ends at 1:15 p.m. More than 100 people attended Monday’s hearing.

The controversial proposal provoked an outcry from some parents who said they don’t think many children could handle a full day of school. (See WestportNow Jan. 8, 2007) Some parents repeated their objections in comments before the board voted.

By Jennifer Connic

Voting just after midnight, the Westport Board of Education early today approved a $88.9 million 2007-08 proposed school budget after reducing the superintendent’s request by more than $300,000.

The proposal is a 8.4 percent increase over the current budget and now moves on to the Board of Finance.

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon had proposed an $89.2 million budget, which is a 8.8 percent, or $7.2 million increase over the current budget.

The board reduced the operating expenses by approximately $636,000 based on proposed cuts from Landon, but added $300,000 to the insurance account before its final vote.

By Jennifer Connic

The Westport Board of Education is preparing to deliberate and vote on the proposed 2007-08 school budget, and its final decision may be something less than what Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon has proposed.

Landon has proposed an $89.2 million 2007-08 budget, which is a 8.8 percent, or $7.2 million, increase over the current budget. The board is scheduled to vote on the proposal during its meeting at 8 p.m. on Monday at Staples High School.

During a meeting with the Board of Finance on Tuesday night, Board of Education Chairwoman Mary Parmelee said the board most likely would present the finance board with something different than what Landon has proposed.

“I imagine we will make changes to the budget,” she said on Thursday. “I only know of potential requests to lower it.”

George Tanner: Joining the Staples staff. Mike Schneider for WestportNow.comBy Mike Schneider

George Tanner started his job today as the new interim assistant principal for the remainder of the school year at Westport’s Staples High School.

He fills the vacancy left by Richard Franzis, who was called to active military service earlier this month (See WestportNow Jan. 9), and will work with the sophomore class.

Tanner, 61, retired last October after 38 years at Derby High School, where he was a teacher, coach and assistant principal.

He said he looks forward to his time at Staples and cited the school’s “stellar” academic reputation.

For the second consecutive year, the engineering team at Westport’s Staples High School has made it into the final round of the National Engineering Design Challenge.

The team will travel to Washington Feb. 15-17 to present its final design.  The Staples team placed second last year and first in 2001 in the competition, which is sponsored by the Junior Engineering and Technical Society (JETS).

The challenge for this year was to design a device to improve life for people with disabilities, and the team designed a retractable shelving system that would enable a person in a wheel chair to utilize the upper and lower shelves with ease.

Although targeting users in wheelchairs, the device would also be useful to those too short to reach upper shelves without a step-stool and also to those for whom bending or crouching to reach the lower shelves is not possible or uncomfortable.

By Jennifer Connic

The Westport Board of Education and Board of Finance clashed tonight over the proposed 2007-08 school budget.

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon has proposed an $89.2 million 2007-08 budget, which is a 8.8 percent, or $7.2 million, increase over the current budget.

The discussion ranged from a battle over all-day kindergarten to the needs at Staples High School, but the two board chairmen argued when Board of Finance Chairman Jeffrey Mayer suggested the school board hold off its budget vote.

The Board of Education is scheduled to vote on its proposed budget on Feb. 5, which is its next scheduled meeting one week from tonight.