Today’s Wall Street Journal ranks Westport’s Staples High School among the elite public and private schools in the nation.

For a story in its Weekend Journal section, the newspaper tried to gauge whether costly private schools delivered more for the money, measured by admission to selective colleges, versus public schools.

“What do costly private-school tuitions buy in the college-admission sweepstakes?” the Journal said.

“To find out, Weekend Journal studied this year’s freshman classes at 10 selective colleges including seven Ivy League schools ֖ and compiled a list of students’ high-school alma maters.”

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The Board of Finance voted 4-2 (Anderson, Ezzes, Mayer, Kassen in favor) with one abstention (Haberstroh) tonight to restore $800,000 of $1.25 million it cut previously from the Board of Education’s proposed $75.12 million budget. Board of Ed chair Sandra Urist earlier told the board that if all money were not restored, the school system would be hurt. An attempt to restore all the money failed on a 2-5 vote (Anderson, Haberstroh in favor). (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

The Polite Performers returned to Long Lots Elementary School recently to demonstrate ways to identify and deal with bullying behavior.  Created several years ago by the Long Lots Leadership Council, the show is written by parents and staff, and is performed by teachers and staff at Long Lots. (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE) Julia Mally for WestportNow.com

When he is not wearing his hat as Westport Town Attorney, Ira Bloom is a partner in a local firm and in that role he has won a significant case for one of Westport’s neighbors, the Town of Easton.

Bloom, a partner in the law firm of Wake, See, Dimes & Bryniczka, won dismissal last week of a case that had been brought against Easton by a group called Citizens for a Responsible Government.

The group sought to overturn the results of a town referendum which overwhelmingly supported the construction of a new elementary school.

After the Easton Board of Selectmen called a town meeting and a town-wide vote to approve an appropriation of $29 million and bond authorization, the citizens of Easton voted 1,624 to 617 in favor of the expenditure.

Last Friday’s day-before-spring snowfall that shut Westport public schools for the day has caused the district to extend the school year by a day to make up for it.

Supt. of Schools Elliott Landon told tonight’s Board of Education meeting that the system had run out of snow days and as a result the last day of school for students will be Friday, June 18, instead of Thursday, June 17.

The Staples High School graduation ceremony has also been pushed back a day to June 18, he said.

Teachers will report to work on the following Monday, June 21, before ending their academic year, Landon said.

He cautioned that if there are any more days canceled this spring due to snow, the district will have to postpone summer vacation accordingly.

The Westport Board of Education voted unanimously tonight to seek restoration of $1.25 million cut from its budget March 12 by the Board of Finance. Members voted after hearing from Supt. of Schools Elliott Landon that an insurance financing issue that was behind the cut had been “resolved” earlier in the day. Listening to the debate ( l to r) are Mark Mathias, Linda Merk-Gould, chair Sandra Urist, and Landon. (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Despite the calendar saying it’s spring, the temperature was in the 20s today as work progressed on the $74 million renovation and expansion of Staples High School. The first phase is due to be ready sometime in the fall. (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

The Westport public schools canceled classes today because of a one-day-before-spring snowstorm.

Today’s late winter snow storm prompted the Westport public school system to dismiss students early.

The schools and dismissal times:

Staples High School and Coleytown Middle School 11:45 a.m.

Bedford Middle School, Coleytown Elementary School, and Saugatuck Elementary School 12:15 p.m.

Green’s Farms Elementary School, Kings Highway Elementary School, and Long Lots Elementary School 1 p.m.

Bedford Middle School was the site Saturday of Westport’s annual “Minds in Motion” workshop sponsored by the Westport schools, the Connecticut Association for the Gifted, and Westport Advocates for Gifted Education. Students are shown building marshmallow pyramids in the Westport Art Center’s “Molding Marshmallows” workshop. See another photo on education page. (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux Roche for WestportNow.com