Waterbury honors late educators and staff during moment of silence

The Waterbury Board of Education meeting held on March 20, 2025, began with a moment of silence to honor several former members of the Waterbury Public Schools community who recently passed away. The list included Alma Ariel, a former crossing guard, who died at the age of 85, and Isabelle Fornado, a former lunch aide, who lived to be 98. Other notable mentions were Augustine Gus Krzavage, a former substitute teacher and assistant coach, who passed away at 67, and John Gilmore Junior, a retired elementary teacher, who died at 80. The community also mourned the loss of Elaine Ramsey, a former school bus aide, Charles Colmar, a teacher, and Vittorio Rinaldi, a custodian, among others.

Following the remembrance, the board moved on to administrative matters. Commissioner Serrano Adorno proposed adding two items to the agenda. The first was an amendment to the engineering agreement with Freeman Companies LLC, which was approved unanimously. The second item involved a modification to the contract with the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board, Inc., which also passed without opposition.

The meeting continued with attendance recorded from board members, including Vice President Brown and President Fernandez, as well as Mayor Pernarusto. The session concluded with a motion to receive and file communications, which was also approved.

This meeting highlighted the board's commitment to honoring its past members while also addressing current administrative needs, reflecting the ongoing dedication to the Waterbury education community.