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.”
“We will also be reaching out to our parent community to ensure that your voices are heard, as well as inviting our grade five students along the way to share their hopes and dreams for next year’s experience,” Palmer added.
Over the long term, Palmer said school officials will work with Richard Lemons, executive director of CT Center for School Change, “to facilitate a community conversation to help define our vision of the future of Westport education.”
She said the work will begin in January with a completion target of April, “involving an inclusive process of all stakeholders.”
In January, the school district also expects to award a contract for the complete review of all school facilities, she said.
The team of architects and engineers will work on a 10-year plan addressing infrastructure issues at all Westport schools, a review that is expected to be completed by next summer, Palmer said.
“As the educational vision is defined in April, these concepts-goals will then be transferred to the architects-engineers reviewing our schools to create options for the kinds of facilities to enable those learning experiences to happen,” Palmer said.
“Our target is by fall 2019 to have a fully articulated vision of the future of education in our district, with a specific plan for facilities that supports how we actualize this vision,” Palmer added.
That vision will determine if Westport is to have two middle schools, one large one, a kindergarten center or a sixth-grade academy, according to Palmer.
“By fall 2019, we will have our master plan for the next 10 years defined in both in terms of the direction of the district and how we will house our students,” Palmer said.
“There is exciting work before us, and we look forward to your input and partnership in this journey.”
