Westport Schools Superintendent Colleen Palmer sought to assure Westport parents today that the threat of a bus drivers’ strike is not imminent.

In an afternoon email, she said, “We continue to keep our lines of communication open with Dattco regarding the status of their negotiations with their drivers. 

“We are pleased that there was no disruption to service today, and we have assurances from Dattco that this level of service should continue as both sides continue to negotiate next week.”

A contract with the drivers, represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 371, expired at midnight Wednesday. Negotiations are set to continue on Monday.

Westport Superintendent of Schools Colleen Palmer said today the bus driver union leadership is not promoting a strike on Thursday, but how many drivers will show up for work will not be known until morning.

School buses at the Dattco lot on Post Road East today. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

In an email to parents, she said a federal mediator, with urging from her office and the Dattco bus company, reached out to the drivers’ union to ask the union leadership to encourage its members to come to work on Thursday. Their contract expires at midnight tonight.

“We have been informed that this did occur and that union leadership is not promoting a strike,” Palmer said. She added that negotiations with representatives of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 371 are set to continue on Monday.

“We will not know the status of the drivers who plan to work tomorrow until shortly after 6:00 a.m. when they begin to report for work,” Palmer said.

Jeffrey Golubchick welcomed students back to school in September. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Westport’s Long Lots Elementary School Principal Jeffrey M. Golubchick, placed on “paid administrative leave without prejudice” in February for letters his attorney sent to some teachers and administrators, has resigned, Superintendent of Schools Colleen Palmer said today.

In an email to Long Lots parents, she said he has submitted his resignation effective June 30.  Golubchick, 36, has been principal since July 1, 2015. He earlier served as assistant principal at Saugatuck Elementary.

“Mr. Golubchick recently notified us that he will be leaving Westport to find an administrative position closer to his home in New York or in California, where his wife grew up,” Palmer said.

The school official has been silent since the abrupt removal of Golbuchick. He was at school on Wednesday, Feb. 8 but after a snow day on Thursday, he was not at the school the next day. (See WestportNow Feb. 11, 2017)

For the third time in little more than eight years, the threat of a strike by Westport school bus drivers looms for Thursday, Superintendent of Schools Colleen Palmer said today.

Colleen Palmer: Schools will open as usual. Dave Matlow / WN file photo

In an email to the school community, she said workers employed by Dattco Transportation will go on strike if the drivers’ union fails to reach agreement on a new contract by midnight Wednesday. Schools will still be open, she said.

Her predecessor, Elliott Landon, sent a similar warning email to parents in September 2012 and in September 2008. Both times strikes were averted.

Palmer said the “only exception will be those special education students currently accessing specialized transportation, for whom the district will continue to provide transportation during the strike.”

U.S. News & World Report (USN&WR) has released its top public high schools list nationwide and Westport’s Staples High School is ranked No. 5 among 48 Connecticut high schools on the list.

Nationally, Staples is No. 391 and No. 60 in STEM high schools. It also was among eight Connecticut schools receiving a gold medal.

Last year, Staples came in No. 14 in Connecticut in the US&NWR rankings. Nationally it was No. 574. (See April 20, 2016)

The magazine cited Staples for its 99 percent graduation rate, a college readiness score of 60.5, AP tested 65 percent, AP passed 91 percent, a 63 percent math proficiency, and 68 percent English proficiency. See the USNWR Staples profile HERE. Its methodology is HERE.