Board Of Ed: Much To Take Pride In

The Board of Education sends this message to families in the Westport Public Schools:

As we head into the summer months, we would like to acknowledge our community and its unwavering support for our schools. The Westport Public School system continues to deliver excellent outcomes across a wide range of areas.

As a community, we should take great pride in the many impressive accomplishments of our students. They are far too numerous to list completely, but we offer here a small sampling:

Academic achievements

Staples High School sent 4 students to the Connecticut State Science and Engineering Fair. All were named finalists (top 20%). One Staples senior advanced to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio, taking 4th place among thousands of entrants from around the world.

The Staples AP Government We the People class placed in the top 10 for the first time in school history at the national competition in Washington.

Staples’ We the People team.

Bedford Middle and Coleytown Middle students earned dozens of medals at the Connecticut State Science Olympiad tournament.

Across all of our elementary schools, the 3rd grade Aimsweb composite reading score is 96% (which means that 96% reached or exceeded reading benchmarks). This is the highest in the state.

Athletic achievements

Staples athletics continues to be a tremendous strength of our district. Our coaches and administrators remain committed to helping our scholar-athletes grow at all skill levels.

In addition to enjoying victories on the field, many of our hard-working athletes find sports at Staples a springboard to future academic success.

We are proud of the dozens of graduating seniors who participated in athletic recruiting and have committed to attend some of the most selective and prestigious colleges and universities in the country, including (just to name a few and in no particular order) Michigan, Duke, U Chicago, Trinity, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Stanford, Princeton, UNC, Penn State, Washington and Lee, WashU, Swarthmore, Amherst, Tufts, Williams, Wesleyan and Penn.

Music, arts and other extracurriculars

In March, 14 Staples students were selected to participate in the Connecticut All-State Music Festival.

Inklings News was awarded the prestigious Gold Crown Award in the High School Hybrid General Magazine category by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for the second time in the publication’s history.

The National PTA Award of Excellence was awarded to 2 Staples students for literature and photography.

While we celebrate our achievements and honor the dedication of our students, teachers, administrators and staff who make them all possible, we must not rest on our laurels.

There are many important initiatives underway that occupy the time and attention of the Board of Education and the administration. These include:

Long Lots School Building

We are in the final weeks of town-wide approvals, and anticipate the grand opening of the new school in September 2027.

AI Pilot

Westport was one of 7 Connecticut districts to receive a state grant to participate in an AI pilot program. Secondary teachers in English, math, science and social studies experimented with school-based artificial intelligence programs, and found extraordinary benefits and frustrating drawbacks. We are committed to exploring AI in our schools and curriculum while being mindful about its risks.

Cellphones

Currently, our elementary and middle schools are cellphone-free during the entire school day. Over the summer, a team of faculty will draft an implementation and logistics plan for a cellphone-free high school. A committee of parents, students, and faculty will review and revise that plan to explore a possible phased-in approach, sequestration strategies, and curricular concerns.

As we close out the academic year, we hope all of our families have a great summer. Our heartfelt congratulations to the Staples Class of 2025!