Saying there is no easy solution to the Coleytown Middle School (CMS) mold crisis shutdown, Schools Superintendent Colleen Palmer today provided parents with details of short- and long-term plans for CMS and its relocated students.

For the short term, Palmer said in an email to parents and students, the schools will create a transition design team to implement a sixth grade at the town’s five, K-5 elementary schools next school year. CMS has traditionally held sixth through eighth grade students.

“This team will work throughout the second half of the year to ensure every detail of this shift is planned in detail from lockers to the creating a cohesive learning community of our rising sixth grade students,” Palmer said.

She said the transition team will be launched after the holidays, “so they can get started with the compendium of work needed for a smooth transition.”

The Advanced Placement Government We The People class at Staples High School led by teacher Suzanne Kammerman (l) earned second place in the statewide We The People competition held at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. This is the fourth year that Staples has competed in the competition, which helps students understand the history and principles of constitutional government. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

By Jarret Liotta

Following an emotional debate that swayed some members at the very last minute, the Board of Education voted 5 to 2 Monday night to make Westport’s five elementary schools kindergarten through sixth grade starting next year.

Board of Education members Vik Muktavaram and Karen Kleine (partially hidden) cast the two dissenting votes to move the sixth grade to elementary schools next year. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com

While Superintendent of Schools Colleen Palmer said her administrators “haven’t closed out” the possibility of finding a facility to house a separate sixth grade “academy” — the favorite option among board members and the community at large — she said they would need to know about it by mid-February “at the absolute latest,” implying it was unlikely.

The vote culminated an intense three-month effort to realign Westport schools following the September closure of Coleytown Middle School (CMS) because of mold and air quality issues. Under the approved plan, all seventh and eighth graders would go to Bedford Middle School (BMS).

“It’s not the ideal scenario … but I do feel strongly that the sixth graders need more instructional time for language and math,” said member Candice Savin of the K-6 plan.