An accidental fire alarm today at Greens Farms Elementary School today disrupted activities, school officials said.

“The fire alarm at Greens Farms Elementary School was accidentally triggered this morning causing an evacuation of the students and staff involved in the Extend School Year program and Continuing Education’s Discovery Camp, both housed in the building,” said John Bayers, director of human resources and general administration in an email to parents,

“The Westport Fire Department and Westport Police Department responded and assisted with resetting the alarm. 

“For those families impacted by this morning’s alarm, please take a moment to thank your children for following the safety protocols initiated by the staff. The children exited the building safely and quickly returned to their normal schedules after a short period outside.”

By James Lomuscio

Board of Finance Chairman Brian Stern called tonight’s meeting “more of a due diligence day than a decision day.”

It was a packed Board of Finance meeting tonight at Town Hall. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) James Lomuscio for WestportNow.com

And diligence it was, especially with $32 million on the line to fully renovate the shuttered, mold-plagued Coleytown Middle School (CMS), so it can reopen by August 2020.

“We first have to understand the need and what are the alternatives,” Stern told a packed audience of educators, parents and residents in Room 201/201A at Town Hall.

The second question was about value.

The Staples High School class of 1979 held its 40th year reunion tonight at the Westport Woman’s Club. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

By Jarret Liotta

A majority of Board of Finance (BOF) members indicate they are in support of the estimated $32 million appropriation needed to renovate Coleytown Middle School (CMS).

Board of Finance Chair Brian Stern tells the BOE: “It’s a very serious amount of money for us, for the town.”  (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com

Still, the BOF as a whole intends to do its due diligence in examining costs, comparisons, ramifications and looking at exactly what the town would be getting for its money before it moves the capital expenditure request forward to the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) next month.

At a joint meeting with the Board of Education (BOE) Thursday night, which was also attended by RTM leadership, BOF members heard a presentation from the CMS Building Committee Chair Don O’Day.

O’Day, who is adamant that the school can be opened on time, barring calamity, stressed that in order to make it happen, town officials needed to move quickly and concisely.

There likely will be new faces on the Westport Board of Education after the November municipal elections.

Lee Goldstein: recommended for BOE by Democrats. Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com

Unless a challenge is mounted, stepping down after their terms end will be Democrats Mark Mathias, the board’s longest serving member — 16 years — and chair since last August, and Neil Phillips, a member since last August, filling the unexpired term of Michael Gordon, former chair.

To fill the seats, the Democratic Town Committee (DTC) Nominating Committee at the DTC meeting Wednesday night endorsed two outgoing PTA representatives, Lee Goldstein, co-president of Coleytown Middle PTA, and Youn Su Chao, co-president of Coleytown Elementary PTA.

DTC Chair Ellen Lautenberg declined to say who sought the Nominating Committee’s endorsement.  “We are only publicizing the names of those we are nominating, not the ones we are not nominating,” she said.

New Staples Principal Stafford Thomas tonight shares a moment with some Staples staff, introducing himself and noting that his door would always be open. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com

By Jarret Liotta

UPDATE The Board of Education (BOE) tonight approved the appointment of veteran educator Stafford W. Thomas, Jr. as the next principal of Staples High School.

Stafford Thomas, Jr: comes from Trumbull. Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com

He succeeds James D’Amico who announced in March his intention to resign July 1 after three years to become principal of his hometown high school, New Fairfield High School.

Since 2011, Thomas has served as principal of Hillcrest Middle School in Trumbull, which, in 2018-2019 was honored as Connecticut Middle School of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS).

“I’m obviously very excited,” Thomas told the board. “This is both a great privilege and an honor to be named principal of Staples High School.”

By Jarret Liotta

Refurbishment of Coleytown Middle School (CMS) will cost an estimated $32 million but can still be done for the start of the 2020-21 school year, according to those studying the matter.

Refurbishment will cost an estimated $32 million; new school $75 million. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The CMS Building Committee will officially announce details tonight at a 7 p.m. meeting in the Staples High School cafeteria. Thursday night it is scheduled to make a similar presentation to the Boards of Education (BOE) and Finance, and the Representative Town Meeting (RTM).

According to documents prepared for tonight’s meeting, cost estimates for the project include $22.3 million in construction, along with $5.8 million representing a 15% contingency amount, as well as insurance and permit fees, making total construction costs $28,134,129.

Estimates also include $2,549,127 in “soft costs,” which including industrial hygiene work, moving and storage, special testing, and various fees.