Several things were clear from Tuesday night’s Board of Finance session—improved communication is needed with the Board of Education and finance members are now more attuned to Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act.

The work session, held in tight quarters in one of Town Hall’s smallest meeting rooms because other rooms were booked, was called to make amends for holding an unnoticed discussion about the same subject following the board’s regular Feb. 4 session.

That discussion had started as an informal calendar-checking talk after the meeting adjourned but turned into a full-scale dialogue about the town’s biggest budget item.

The discussion was a violation of the Freedom of Information Act because it had not been noticed in advance and took place after the meeting was adjourned.

The Westport Board of Finance met tonight to discuss education budget issues. The session, in tight quarters in a Town Hall meeting room, was held to make amends for holding a similar discussion following adjournment of its Feb. 4 regular meeting—a violation of the Freedom of Information Act. Board Chair Steve Ezzes said the breach was inadvertent and he apologized to those attending. (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE). WestportNow.com photo

The Westport Board of Education voted tonight in effect to reverse its controversial decision last year to change the school start times of Coleytown Elementary School and Coleytown Middle School to a half hour earlier to save money. By a 4-3 vote, board members added $249,000 to their proposed budget to cover the additional cost. They defeated a proposal to adjust all school start times by 15 minutes which would not have required additional funding. Audience members lined up to address the board before their votes. Later, by a 6-1 vote (with Mark Owades opposed), the board approved an operating budget of $75,123,677, a 7.25 percent increase over the 2003-4 operating budget. (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE). WestportNow.com photo

The Westport public schools are closed today due to the snowstorm, Schools Supt. Elliott Landon announced.

The controversial issue of school start times was before the Westport Board of Education tonight. The co-chairs of the School Start Time Committee, Angela Wormser and Dan Sullivan, presented results of their survey on the subject to board members (See WestportNow Jan. 29, 2004). The board put off a vote on possibly changing start times until next Monday. WestportNow.com photo

Members of the Westport Board of Finance tonight had a lengthy informal discussion about the Board of Ed budget. Among the topics was whether to ask the Board of Education to hold its budget closer to 5 percent rather than what the superintendent calls a proposed 6.9 percent increase, but which finance members calculate is actually 8 percent not counting insurance savings. They also discussed asking the educators to postpone final approval of their budget pending further talks with their board. The discussion followed formal adjournment of the meeting which was broadcast live on the town’s government access cable channel. WestportNow.com photo

A survey about the controversial Westport school start time issue released today shows that parents with children at two schools initiating earlier start times this year either have negative or mixed feelings about it, but staff members at the schools mostly favor it.

In addition, a district-wide survey found that parents mostly support a 15-minute later shift in start and ending times while staff members mostly oppose it.

The results were released at an afternoon meeting of the School Start Time Committee. Asked his reaction to the survey, Schools Supt. Elliott Landon had a one-word response: “interesting.”

At a December meeting of the Board of Education, several board members suggested the panel consider a compromise 15-minute change something that also had been raised earlier this year but rejected.

The board was scheduled to hear the Start Time Committee’s report at its Feb. 4 meeting.

Two schools ֖ Coleytown Middle School and Coleytown Elementary School started classes a half-hour earlier beginning in September to save money on transportation costs.

Westport public schools will be closed today due to the snowstorm, Schools Supt. Elliott Landon announced.

Insurance consultant Robert L.Pernicka, senior VP of The Segal Company, told town officials Tuesday night he had good news and bad news about Board of Ed employee insurance claims. The good news claim expenses are 82 percent of what was anticipated this year, resulting in a $700,000 cost savings. The bad news ֖ he can’t guarantee the lower claims will continue. Board of Ed Chair Sandra Urist looks on. WestportNow.com photo