[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6386482,"mediaKeyId","2118068-5d49dc55b02a9a4ae7e5f33f73314e3e","parentId",2118068,"title","Public comment criticizes board transparency as members review visitor conduct, employment checks and immigration policy first reads","audioSeconds",2438,"startMs",1179000,"endMs",3617000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118068-5d49dc55b02a9a4ae7e5f33f73314e3e&start=1179&end=3617","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118068-5d49dc55b02a9a4ae7e5f33f73314e3e/thumbnail_1179000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6386482/Connecticut/Public-comment-criticizes-board-transparency-as-members-review-visitor-conduct-employment-checks-and-immigration-policy-first-reads","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386482-99252aecf193124ed0d6b284f75ec2c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1775859736&Signature=Pti3Sg~rPpxuYVaZaTmZIzfNyXfhJi6418cspYjjFdu-Tipjab-aFN~Dn~aTqmxvTLGjrumZKxTreYBOL-U~uOAM0uYH~nRIr2Z6IwMozVlyBJvjE3-hQej8k9mxqpjG1deAYTYQokBc0XIxILtwCfP98H1Ly03VIahNPdnBzyiNxa6Dle9d5Nf0QH982DxUusENUx0vDaiMtu3P3iUE9hcdizxEnnGahX2skw08T6KU83em9xO8xMSHaKGwRa2bsJEUX86UvEHc5oyaUGl777upLK8ZsN-n19qs-DuWHuxhocMkDYfFEI9ab8R69K04rdazSvI6ukRTgEGArdai0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Norwich School District","date","2025-01-15T13:27:39Z","article","During the public-comment period at the Jan. 14 Norwich Board of Education meeting, resident Joanne Philbrook urged the board to apologize to taxpayers over “a lengthy and very expensive debacle” involving the former superintendent and criticized the presence of city council liaisons. She specifically addressed an agenda item titled “welcoming immigration and refugee communities and protection of undocumented students,” saying she took the language as a personal affront and asking whether the district would refuse to follow directives from ICE.

“I believe that you, the board of education, owe the rate, the taxpayers of this city, an apology and an explanation after a lengthy and very expensive debacle,” Philbrook said. On the immigration item she asked: “Does that mean that you will not be following the directives of ICE … ? I take it as a personal affront.”

Earlier in the meeting the board chair read aloud public-comment rules and said the board would not engage in back-and-forth during the public-comment period. The chair also noted that policy changes discussed at the meeting remain subject to the policy committee and to future board votes: the visitor-observation policy, employment and student-teacher checks, the revised family medical leave changes under EFMLA, a social-media policy for personnel, and a new policy described as welcoming immigration and refugee communities were presented for first read.

In describing the visitor-observation policy, a board committee member emphasized the intent to welcome parents while also making clear that “disrespect to staff will not be tolerated,” and said signage reminding visitors of expectations will be implemented. On the deletion of an “increasing educator diversity plan,” staff said the change reflects a new state reporting requirement rather than a local policy.

The board did not take votes on the policy items during the first read and the administration noted that the policy committee will bring finalized language back for a future vote.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Norwich Public Schools Board of Education Meeting - 01/14/2025","oneSentenceSummary","A resident called for an apology over a recent personnel settlement and criticized proposed district support for immigrant students as the board presented several policy revisions for first read.","taxTitle","Norwich School District, School Districts, Connecticut","taxId",38771,"location","Connecticut","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386487,"Norwich adds two 'snow buses' for NFA routes; district to review low ridership on some runs",1195,1869000,3064000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118068-5d49dc55b02a9a4ae7e5f33f73314e3e&start=1869&end=3064","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118068-5d49dc55b02a9a4ae7e5f33f73314e3e/thumbnail_1869000.jpg","/articles/6386487/Connecticut/Norwich-adds-two-snow-buses-for-NFA-routes-district-to-review-low-ridership-on-some-runs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386487-1f0efcf8e7d91b56b9167bc717cb2960/orig.mp4?Expires=1775859736&Signature=NDLaUHQ9tx2ziaF65U0Jj~OLszB4YoiQmwquL1lwewzZNjqLVfTzwTMDNQVMA-sZfIUarPetLP67V6CranlqbzZ8RAv5jL4O5-l2XG-g5oW5K4e~usmPh9x3KLVkkMdRCsh480PLWV7IkrHGdcHqDe~L0XSPMNE68ks8KDw1EoyKpXlemGvlKBbufyhZUR-2AXzwQQTAimycqZuSQ0K-sVtRf3jLT-z74eUEGmRCPHH4YWAb4QjHaWqwhMyGRQikFzwK3x7syR4g4jJOe8ZLXWCZG2--a3kHeEtzegsWRd8oTI25d0GIb9huXbLel8IxcxCSbpo01ZRqCgcCyaIZCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Norwich school officials told the board Jan. 14 they added two temporary “snow buses” for students who live between one and 1.5 miles from Norwich Free Academy (NFA) for January through March.

Acting Superintendent Susan Lazaro reported ridership counts provided by the transportation director. “Snow bus number 1, there were 71 students routed for that one,” she said, and read daily pickup figures for Jan. 7–10. A second run — Snow Bus 2 — had 56 routed students and showed varied daily counts across the Jan. 7–10 window. Lazaro said some runs showed very low utilization and staff will contact NFA and continue collecting data to identify barriers.

The administration said the routes use hub stops and that some students will still walk short distances between hub stops and homes. Board members suggested discussing potential consolidation of hub stops with the transportation subcommittee; Lazaro said staff will follow up and provide additional data at a later meeting.

","The district introduced two temporary 'snow bus' routes for students living between one and 1.5 miles from Norwich Free Academy and reported early ridership figures; staff said they will investigate low utilization on certain hub stops.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386493,"Norwich to end middle-school magnet designations, hire redistricting consultant for school consolidation",162,2057000,2219000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118068-5d49dc55b02a9a4ae7e5f33f73314e3e&start=2057&end=2219","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118068-5d49dc55b02a9a4ae7e5f33f73314e3e/thumbnail_2057000.jpg","/articles/6386493/Connecticut/Norwich-to-end-middle-school-magnet-designations-hire-redistricting-consultant-for-school-consolidation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386493-7a59154058629a83bc75323225d325fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1775859736&Signature=bCot1-KZPELLexCL0y~RQynXl1d-Awq1EVKT0q2OfsPNzRkfV2I7BUsOHHW0P6-SimoBzCDBsTGWK6lnILQIILw8cKgPDwitYl9WDOSNN8fS41mylUMBF-scaK1EqzxaLChZS6W3oto2yjhb64dcrlFfgBlpiGQCq8eCsCyTIhUg8lly7DMYJ9g6pUlg4t3gJfujvq0S8w2ULqLoRWVRJxznxemPjHaI5XykFIJdKaabnrFaCmEPOuk61g935FsLScaktdM2VEp~rc9WdZlnJ7xtfnJucBYUpUh9wv5wpPD4r26qPC19tb58XfTKYnQ5cgrwBLNfAApjIjB61GLnsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Norwich Board of Education was told Jan. 14 that the district will stop using magnet designations at its middle schools and will require incoming sixth-graders to attend their zone middle school beginning with the 2025–26 school year.

Acting Superintendent Susan Lazaro told the board that parents will receive a letter and an online map showing which students will attend Kelly Middle School or Teachers Memorial Global Studies Middle School based on residential address. Students who already have siblings at a school may remain with their siblings if their family completes an online form sent via ParentSquare, Lazaro said. “So the middle schools will no longer be considered magnet schools … starting the 25–26 school year,” Lazaro said.

The administration said curriculum differences tied to the prior magnet labels (Kelly known for STEAM and Teachers for Global Studies) will be removed; both schools will offer the same curriculum. The board was also told that the building committee has hired a redistricting consultant — the same demography expert who prepared a prior demographic report used for state reimbursement calculations — to redraw attendance boundaries as the district plans to consolidate from seven schools to four.

Administrators said the consultant contract was signed the previous day and that additional updates will follow as the district develops new zones tied to the planned building changes. Board members asked for further details and were told more information will be provided as the redistricting process proceeds.

","District will require incoming sixth-graders to attend assigned zone middle schools starting 2025–26 and hired a redistricting consultant to redraw boundaries for a planned reduction from seven to four schools.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386499,"Norwich board creates superintendent search committee",59,7850000,7909000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118068-5d49dc55b02a9a4ae7e5f33f73314e3e&start=7850&end=7909","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118068-5d49dc55b02a9a4ae7e5f33f73314e3e/thumbnail_7850000.jpg","/articles/6386499/Connecticut/Norwich-board-creates-superintendent-search-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386499-ead97634589d6f3841c247492ca1d794/orig.mp4?Expires=1775859736&Signature=ENdwBdIBBZ1xrTQcQWNfIh9X6Li2-EDgEOaQmxJT-cXXu9~FGPDvnYvtxCY-8NHzrg34fhEKbBaIJtrZWgQBLsX9jK9xIHXHlHsLFovR8iVp4Qm6U6J2qv-woq1nQvDMfqHeRvgQZY8y0exdYBiUB6xFmS37~WSJ7FkOB-FfYFkbt3qSFbDCEPDGy2amri5oLGEneRerBp0cOOtdizNtpCgnbQQYTYO5kta8F80J0H7lXQjpk0Ulw74rwyUjL1d3w8GvUB8Jr0q27vCffptQ8yMVNqo91kTjfnyDzmCv4HjJ6~36JDeT7LbAANnbE4m2tTCDOgXRrj2hMquaOH8GEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Norwich Board of Education voted Jan. 14 to establish a personnel search committee to recommend one or more candidates for superintendent.

Board member John Iovino moved the measure after the board adjourned an executive-session discussion of personnel search issues. The motion named nine appointees to the committee: Mark Kullos, John Iovino, Carlene Chalmers, Christine DiStachio, Heather Fowler, Christina Milton, Ella Miles, Gregory Perry and Kevin Seitany. A board member seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous.

No votes were taken during the executive session itself; the board’s formal action outside executive session was the appointment of the search committee. The committee’s charge, as stated in the motion, is to recommend one or more candidates for the position of superintendent to the full board.

Board members did not set a public timeline during the motion; the board will receive future updates at regular meetings or via committee reports.

","The board voted unanimously to create a personnel search committee to recommend candidates for superintendent and appointed nine members to the committee.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386503,"Norwich officials say rising special-education costs and lower state reimbursement threaten district budget",3272,2428000,5700000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118068-5d49dc55b02a9a4ae7e5f33f73314e3e&start=2428&end=5700","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118068-5d49dc55b02a9a4ae7e5f33f73314e3e/thumbnail_2428000.jpg","/articles/6386503/Connecticut/Norwich-officials-say-rising-special-education-costs-and-lower-state-reimbursement-threaten-district-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386503-858760f73dfa773df89a3974e777640c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775859736&Signature=XR6cfBeQe6y5Uy7t3DcgTzsBDk~t0ILX94BhJHbihpk6xR-Hh9V-XvLOMNUNX4eAqwgo381hTI6FkJzRMoqVtw4y~o11GNA2cXaUIZAJwiQPzCDIu3ZT7A4~vsJ-2T-eye2CADBH4SqkT60zPwhSeAndsiPQGYvngxgE8YwQyoxxyLzmRKk0SqiWHWkJi~~YlefdJm6BpvEI95xZOgg-xmjmIqXNDpxgQmeqYc3YecUxoW5dTgYqs2EBR-exyTS-x3xZdyQ6EWoTctFB3HtyHy8lbpGB6ZzOOVMZBqeM715M8d2KqNho7Bcn78nFt6CJGpbC1Zic2qmoR50Y5vfy7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Norwich Board of Education heard a sustained briefing Jan. 14 on mounting special-education costs, a midyear rate increase from a regional provider and how new in-district programs are offsetting some tuition expenses.

The district’s finance staff told the board that the state’s excess-cost reimbursement rate for Norwich dropped to 64.19% for the current year, “the lowest ever,” and that a major provider, EastCon, announced a 15% rate increase effective Jan. 6. “We will only get 64.19%, which is the lowest ever,” one district finance official said during the presentation. The official described the combination of higher provider rates and lower state reimbursement as a “major legislative fight” and a driver of an emerging budget shortfall.

The presentation explained why the change matters: districts receive state reimbursement for special-education expenditures under Connecticut’s excess-cost program, but that program’s appropriations have been capped for years and have not kept pace with rising provider costs. The finance presentation traced the program’s funding history and said the district budgeted conservatively at a 70% reimbursement level but now faces an effective rate well below that. The district’s staff said the shortfall this year is approximately $1.1 million compared with the level that would be needed to meet budgeted expectations.

Board members and staff described a sudden invoice-driven problem after the provider announcement. The finance presentation said: “They announced effective January 3rd they will be at 15% for the rest of the year,” and district staff said they were seeking invoices and documentation to determine precise impacts on Norwich’s year-to-date liability.

District leaders outlined actions already taken to blunt costs. The Rose City School, an in-district program opened in the fall for students who otherwise would attend costly out-of-district placements, has expanded to a second classroom and has grown from two to nine students; staff said bringing students into the Rose City School is both educationally preferable and reduces tuition payments to external providers. The finance presentation quantified a combination of reduced payments and avoided placements this year as roughly $662,000 to date. “For this year, the combination of actual expense reduction from not paying other places and avoiding spending new money is $662,000,” the finance official said.

Board members and administrators said the district is pursuing several strategies: (1) expanding in-house programs such as Rose City School to lower tuition outlays, (2) seeking clearer, more timely communication with partner institutions such as Norwich Free Academy about enrollment and billing changes, and (3) pressing state lawmakers to increase the excess-cost appropriation. The district also discussed exploring regional cooperative programs with neighboring districts as an alternative to paying escalating private-provider rates.

Administrators noted timing constraints: excess-cost filings are adjusted on March 1 and final state distributions depend on the legislature. The acting superintendent told the board that Norwich will press state leaders and appear at advocacy meetings in Hartford. “The governor said he plans to prioritize special education in his budget,” the finance presentation reported; district leaders said they will continue to press for additional state funding and other reforms.

The board scheduled upcoming public budget sessions and said staff will continue to update elected members as further invoice details become available.

","Board members and staff described a sharp drop in state excess-cost reimbursement and a midyear rate increase by a regional provider, and outlined in-house steps that have produced roughly $662,000 in savings so far.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public comment criticizes board transparency as members review visitor conduct, employment checks and immigration policy first reads

Norwich adds two 'snow buses' for NFA routes; district to review low ridership on some runs

Norwich to end middle-school magnet designations, hire redistricting consultant for school consolidation

Norwich board creates superintendent search committee

Norwich officials say rising special-education costs and lower state reimbursement threaten district budget