After a summer of sleeping in, Westport students headed back to school this morning.
Senior girls woke up at the crack of dawn, to caravan to Staples High School:
(Photo/Matt Murray)
An hour later, 2 young girls send an important message, as they wait for their bus:
(Photo/Gery Grove)
Meanwhile, on Compo Hill, parents sent off their kids. They celebrated with a continental breakfast — and pondered what to do next:
(Photo/Rich Stein)
Hmmmm, were they using stand-up Seatbelts in that Jeep?
That’ll be the first lesson, I’d imagine, in this year’s curricula: Safety First. “DBD” (don’t be dumb) Please.
Today, on Westport’s scheduled first day of school, parents have lots to be thankful for as some towns in CT cannot open their public schools on time due to the ongoing state budget crisis. Through the leadership of Jim Marpe and the work of our Board of Finance and our Board of Education, Westport is able to open school without the impaCT of the state’s fiscal crisis.
“…some towns in CT cannot open their public schools on time…..” Real data source please, or it didn’t happen
John. Thanks for your response. It always helps to have the facts:
Torrington is the latest town to have to make one of those tough decisions. The city’s Board of Education voted this week to push back the start date of the first day of school.
Superintendent of Schools, Denise Clemons, told FOX61 the decision was intended as a means to avoid having to make staff cuts. She said state budget troubles have delayed a cash flow into the city in other areas, but they expect to be caught up enough to pay teachers and school staff if the school year starts roughly a week later than originally planned.
Thanks, yes I just read about Torrington. They are starting 3 days later but also pushing out the school year by 3 days in June. Not sure what the late start is accomplishing, and how it really impacts short term or long term cash flow, as teachers started with professional development days as originally scheduled and will be paid on the same schedule. Seems like it is cash/budget neutral and could be more of a grandstanding move by a local BOE.
John. We in Westport need to thank Jim Marpe, the Boards of Education and Finance in tackling the impact of the state budget crisis. It is real and getting worse. Many towns and cities in CT are making plans for drastic cuts to their education budgets due to funding cuts from CT. While you might want to minimize it, for whatever reason (politics?) towns and cities in CT are truly struggling.
Here is news from Bridgeport-close to Westport:
BRIDGEPORT — The state’s budget crisis is costing the school district many of its reading coaches — even though the city’s students have the worst reading scores in the state.
Some 13 of 28 literacy coaches who used to work with struggling students have been cut from the district’s 2017-18 budget, and that is just the beginning.
Faced with continued uncertainty as the new school year approaches without a budget, some 38 staff positions have already been axed, along with a small alternative high school program and much of the parent center staff. Some of those cut can move into vacant positions, others will get pink slips.
The bad news was spelled out Wednesday at a school board finance committee meeting.
Nope, not politics.
John-Dan does not like people taking up a lot of posts for the same idea. So I will end by saying I am surprised you do not know what is going on in CT regarding the decision by Governor Malloy to significantly cut education funds to towns and cities in CT and the horrible impaCT. It is widely known-all over the news.
At this point-Dan hopefully this ends.
Must be nice to have all the answers, very Trumpian.
My first reaction… we have to take care of this “seniors waking up at the crack of dawn” thing. Studies show the benefits of adolescents starting school later, and many districts are getting on board and making it work. It’s time we do the same – it’s probably more important than worrying about a little teenage risk taking like standing in a slow moving jeep for a photo op. (given the above requests for facts, here’s one of the studies: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2014/08/19/peds.2014-1697)