[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_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":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6220034,"mediaKeyId","3619214-79d10e093d8efa0d4d41de144bc71364","parentId",3619214,"title","Board approves package of updates to business and noninstructional policies, adds device-use guidance","audioSeconds",1254,"startMs",7326000,"endMs",8580000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3619214-79d10e093d8efa0d4d41de144bc71364&start=7326&end=8580","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3619214-79d10e093d8efa0d4d41de144bc71364/thumbnail_7326000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6220034/Connecticut/Board-approves-package-of-updates-to-business-and-noninstructional-policies-adds-device-use-guidance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6220034-7db897b1e7d4ea07a81f319c5c225c51/orig.mp4?Expires=1770441937&Signature=CcID0D0BCr9rwAi~wHqjAQj96Ff9gRrCtznVlyjDNxhfGCOslLi0XtxShA9O2ueBt0ckvlZpRxFOzCHGqc2QOE1sQIaXwdTTtl1dOuTdviDEdKPBpRzFjzC2SRpMLDqA3FHfA9BrSKuXsmh54QjML9e~j4fh3rxTdkpwL5k9r0u1-0bFu-JPhzNEDigx6KVcSEQq1s~DPmSfOp3CD~6RUeCuS7e7KffQU6ol-X2mMXa7s7XMaiftYi~xwnoRXYv2yZAS80mteMdImCHfGOo~O6y0kin2BFaSmT~6hsf-zN4EfPpvo1z7IHj4K5w6SH1l4wzKyMh2vDAaHIvhPV6v0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-02T08:25:58Z","article","The Newington Board of Education on May 28 approved a package of business and noninstructional policy updates that modernize purchasing language, remove outdated references and add guidance on personal-device use in schools.

Trustees reviewed changes to vendor relations, local purchasing preference language, purchasing procedures, payment processes, travel reimbursement and inventory reporting. The board and policy committee removed antiquated references (for example, to a town treasurer and specific antiquated equipment) and clarified that payments and mileage reimbursements follow current town finance practices, including state mileage rates.

Board members and the policy team also added a new policy on personal electronic devices. The policy states that “use of devices during school hours is not permitted without staff authorization” and directs schools to specify grade-level guidelines in individual school handbooks. The board’s discussion said the policy would allow staff to authorize classroom or curricular uses while letting each school set appropriate handbook rules by grade.

The board approved the policy package by roll call. Trustees said the changes were mostly editorial and aimed to make policies clearer and consistent with current practice; the board chair and policy team said regulations and school-handbook details would follow and that some regulations (for boosters, for example) would be handled separately.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","NPS BOE Meeting - (5/28/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","The Newington Board of Education moved to update and renumber a series of business and noninstructional policies on procurement, purchasing, travel and inventories and approved language clarifying permitted personal-device use by students.","taxTitle","Newington School District, School Districts, Connecticut","taxId",51980,"location","Connecticut","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6220040,"Board renews staff computer-purchase program; participation low but continuing",298,6788000,7086000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3619214-79d10e093d8efa0d4d41de144bc71364&start=6788&end=7086","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3619214-79d10e093d8efa0d4d41de144bc71364/thumbnail_6788000.jpg","/articles/6220040/Connecticut/Board-renews-staff-computer-purchase-program-participation-low-but-continuing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6220040-54b50e5a37a2ea1853cf4bfb25896f49/orig.mp4?Expires=1770441937&Signature=m78ti84FIyhNvXi6neZPWnVvhuL~lX4S6AofQMcTG5kbhmLLCktAmkWHQ~WH9R2q4jPICRj3tHLtyWLpYmt8E9hk1KmgW-c5alINmYkTTKr4o4~umSLAzGvsGNzEloI0jDrqGYwPjY5pVY3i52AZgBa1Sji1jb3zxeTbK5IuP-z8Wc6-5L54IVqNCSKKeHu5EQiNeohq6BEb2KQ~pCAXx3fVdCA3l5zUnqIzGBYaCkUsIfbqmI5TuPxaFPYGjcn9b56KLnPwROX3Lwq5pZ2QkesbUh~0IO7egidboEDXb4AyutSxbyMBbQI419X127GPMGG6Exz7INvLteAcqrJQWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Newington Board of Education voted May 28 to continue its computer purchase program for staff in the 2025–26 school year. The program lets employees buy a computer through the district and repay the cost over time via payroll deduction.

Presenters said the program dates to the 1990s and was once widely used when computers were costly; technology costs have fallen and participation has declined. At present the district has five staff members participating and limits purchases to $2,000 per transaction, according to the board discussion.

Finance staff said the program carries no direct cost to the district and can be meaningful to participating employees. The board approved continuation unanimously; trustees noted the program’s utility for both instructional and noninstructional staff.

No changes to program terms were proposed at the meeting. The motion to continue the program passed 7–0.","The Newington Board of Education voted to continue a long-standing program that lets staff purchase district-approved computers and repay via payroll deduction; participation is limited and the program carries a $2,000 cap per transaction.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6220045,"Board certifies compliance with Connecticut nutrition standards and approves limited exemptions",343,6063000,6406000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3619214-79d10e093d8efa0d4d41de144bc71364&start=6063&end=6406","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3619214-79d10e093d8efa0d4d41de144bc71364/thumbnail_6063000.jpg","/articles/6220045/Connecticut/Board-certifies-compliance-with-Connecticut-nutrition-standards-and-approves-limited-exemptions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6220045-f2c1b6194942ee6cd432a3a1b82860f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770441937&Signature=OfOgBqWyWrfrohgLyVBZzODQiMhHjqTQjo4hzxE-kUfovmEJBk7Xk25bH1QmY8Ilj33rbpXuLJOy90fmNtnBCf676mvxNZ5xGbbKcQbyz5SihkGPqogAsUhehY~n-PmDWyps1WGwRoNGUKTCOTT~L~pPystmIsiv61O4b2-ep~Zxpo2OvXyvTYStTcRwJUCnvgElQZ0DU0PiF-LZu9QBWccIjCfJCzaB0LDbkPrHA0yIWdyRxXP~LdjNvLFr3V6or9LI7lkkfWUOCccRUpTxJGEwe3buLb-Os9~-7rwaKSv0NsIyjz2yPS-sd5hfpN1auok3LP4YCAY7JZ7Z-QdiIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On May 28 the Newington Board of Education voted to certify that food sold to students during the 2025–2026 school year will comply with Connecticut Nutrition Standards and separately approved limited exemptions for food sold at after-hours events.

Board members read aloud the certification language required by state law. The motion, introduced in public session, cited the statutory certification period from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 and covered food sold separately from reimbursable school meals including sales by school stores, vending machines, culinary programs and fundraising activities.

The board then approved a companion policy allowing sales of items that do not meet the nutrition standards when three conditions are met: the sale must be in connection with an event occurring after the regular school day or on the weekend, the sale must occur at the event’s location, and the items must not be sold from vending machines or school stores. The board’s definition of an “event” excludes regularly scheduled practices and meetings and defines the regular school day as running from midnight before the school day until 30 minutes after the official end of the day.

Both motions passed unanimously on roll call. The board’s certification is required to secure maximum state reimbursement for the district’s school meal program and to demonstrate compliance with state law (motions were couched by reference to the Connecticut General Statutes in the motion language read to the board).","The Newington Board of Education certified compliance with the Connecticut Nutrition Standards for 2025–2026 and approved limited exemptions for after-hours event sales; both actions were unanimous.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6220050,"Superintendent outlines student gains, growth areas in year-end review",1756,3737000,5493000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3619214-79d10e093d8efa0d4d41de144bc71364&start=3737&end=5493","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3619214-79d10e093d8efa0d4d41de144bc71364/thumbnail_3737000.jpg","/articles/6220050/Connecticut/Superintendent-outlines-student-gains-growth-areas-in-year-end-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6220050-32a05923756a573b400bd791aa87a588/orig.mp4?Expires=1770441937&Signature=gpDiO-qO1ZBattuHuBaQMCvjl-ZFvTT0npwi1TUy4eoOpHfhJsQcib8Xfy6XZ2I06mn3ohkG-rG~ApCwJEYdGZg-SycYNq-yUeFsb0HdkxS~fEdTv3xLpAITJMppfL9Q9Hb5rgY7olcUxw6~8az4gLSGTZ-MeXE0f7Lr7Zqdqn6M-tZjo9qYBGzzsCLnAuriUZP0zoqK71UfdPJrXcE3UCKQmTDJq14DNkPgtg8Nzhsakktu661e9BXpIbj2NFVF6OqhwzaUTBPdSeLmcvVutmMq5H~5UOGT-WfXtqvTYzGJOv0uhO253MzIDNt7vZLHGl-mxiJKID6duQOmejVyHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Dr. Bremer presented a year-end review to the Newington Board of Education on May 28, 2025 that summarized academic results, demographic shifts and district initiatives from the past school year.

Bremer highlighted district assessment and program data and said the district is changing demographically: “We are nearly 50% white and 50% non white here in Newington,” she told the board. She described efforts to calibrate instruction through learning walks and instructional rounds, and she said district teams used a mix of classroom observations, principal feedback and data analysis to guide professional development.

On assessments, Bremer said Newington students posted stronger-than-expected gains on the SAT. She told the board that College Board projections estimated a reading-and-writing increase of 21.2 points for the year but students actually gained 28 points — “plus 6.8 more than what the College Board predicted,” she said. Math growth was closer to expectations, she added.

Early college experience (ECE) participation rose: Bremer said ECE course offerings increased from 17 to 22, and the district expects students to attempt roughly 1,400–1,500 college credits this year. She told the board the program has drawn state attention and that participation by Black, Latino and biracial students each increased by a percentage point.

The district also reported gains in bilingual credentials: the Seal of Biliteracy cohort grew from six students in the program’s first year to substantially higher counts in later years, Bremer said, and she described a range of languages represented — Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Polish and Ukrainian among them.

Bremer reported demographic changes and multilingual learner (ML) caseloads: ML enrollment was “hovering right around 9 and a half percent,” she said. She noted that ML counts change during the year and that the district monitors progress on the language-proficiency tests used to exit students from services.

Other highlights included expansion of prekindergarten offerings (from about 60 students in 2019–20 to a projected 220 for next year) and the opening of a school-based health center at the high school with services paid by grant funds or by parental insurance. Bremer also said the district secured roughly $3 million in anticipated grant revenue and that the Wallace renovation project was on track and coming in under budget.

Bremer closed by reminding the board that her written evaluation is subject to freedom-of-information rules; she said the board would meet in executive session at a later date to discuss the superintendent’s evaluation and that any contract vote would be required in open session before July 1.

Board members asked clarifying questions about benchmarks and growth measures and praised staff for improving practices tied to culturally responsive teaching and instructional rounds.","Superintendent Dr. Bremer presented an end-of-year review to the Newington Board of Education on May 28, 2025 highlighting SAT growth, expansion of early college courses, progress on biliteracy and multilingual learner services, and pre-K growth.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6220055,"Third-graders present 'Exploring Perspectives' letters at Newington board meeting",1545,1874000,3419000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3619214-79d10e093d8efa0d4d41de144bc71364&start=1874&end=3419","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3619214-79d10e093d8efa0d4d41de144bc71364/thumbnail_1874000.jpg","/articles/6220055/Connecticut/Third-graders-present-Exploring-Perspectives-letters-at-Newington-board-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6220055-9685823f708cab5e8c80047bd28ca7cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770441937&Signature=OAPNUpdE9dzEp7JGPjJXNRZqXYiITeFyofopKPztAHuxMpBjJOSzKP5gLdA3wBGi3n0GeC5zzkrC6o3ErCzVPVc7XYN~ROr~dXOER2QO54lt6UE1cchjwUb6ZRiT4w0wqj8MW8P6TNrIJLuTmAIzAC122CFyFARWxqyuW-bQSPjyCmBMoHtyhLiwMcBZ7rOgB1vYfaVlP9nJKHglDrVWFtpbuUJxRlsgJwrbI7spBSbLauRuWwhvcE~GHX-1tTX~epQXP~UiGzusGJmENPHdn2BXa3pDe5UAJjKujX1SCY1xCdhziIdfM5U1gyU-0wpExq7ih3pDIwKrvUqz8rkkIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the May 28 Newington Board of Education meeting, third-graders from Ruth L. Chaffee School presented work from a literacy unit called Exploring Perspectives, a classroom module that asks students to research advocates, write letters and practice public speaking.

The program, principal Jim Marciano told the board, “engages critical thinking about multiple perspectives” and is organized around four domains: diversity, identity, fairness and action. Third-grade teacher Miss Aguirre described the culminating assignment — “This project is called letter to an advocate” — as the unit’s way of having students research people who worked for change and then write a letter asking the person to address an issue important to the child.

Students presented letters to historical and contemporary figures they had studied. One student, who identified himself as Arian, said he chose Steve Jobs and asked how technology could be used positively; another student, Kate Hart, said she wrote to Joseph Smith to ask about greater representation for members of her faith. Brooklyn Leahy told the board she wrote to ballerina Misty Copeland about representation and racial equity in the arts; Alex Feliciano presented a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt about economic equity and the modern economy.

Miss Aguirre explained the classroom process: brainstorming topics, read-alouds and videos for diverse exposure, small-group research, and a project phase that produced posters or slide presentations. She told the board students were expected to use age-appropriate sources and graphic organizers and then present their findings aloud. Marciano and other board members emphasized that the project was designed to build students’ research, reflection and public-speaking skills as well as civic awareness.

Board members praised the students’ work and composure. Board member Jessica Weaver said the presentations showed “the caring, the maturity, the kindness, but just the intelligence” of the students; fellow members highlighted the program as an example of culturally responsive pedagogy being used to improve classroom engagement.

No formal board action followed the presentation; the segment was presented as an instructional showcase and to highlight curriculum work at Ruth L. Chaffee.

The board packet contains sample student work and photos from classroom projects; teachers said similar lessons had been used in kindergarten through fourth grade with grade-appropriate adaptations.","Ruth L. Chaffee students presented work from the Exploring Perspectives literacy unit — a classroom project that had third-graders research an advocate and write letters urging change — at the Newington Board of Education meeting on May 28, 2025.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves package of updates to business and noninstructional policies, adds device-use guidance

Board renews staff computer-purchase program; participation low but continuing

Board certifies compliance with Connecticut nutrition standards and approves limited exemptions

Superintendent outlines student gains, growth areas in year-end review

Third-graders present 'Exploring Perspectives' letters at Newington board meeting