[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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],{"_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",6527101,"mediaKeyId","3649081-caa0d90ea9c4344c1713cbc0ac1f8a70","parentId",3649081,"title","Board takes first steps on cell-phone rules and waives first reading on restorative practices mandate","audioSeconds",2083,"startMs",2173000,"endMs",4256000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3649081-caa0d90ea9c4344c1713cbc0ac1f8a70&start=2173&end=4256","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3649081-caa0d90ea9c4344c1713cbc0ac1f8a70/thumbnail_2173000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6527101/Connecticut/Board-takes-first-steps-on-cell-phone-rules-and-waives-first-reading-on-restorative-practices-mandate","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527101-7606c54f5bfd51ed19b80e1b4e09fb60/orig.mp4?Expires=1770826631&Signature=lFb0fH9khjJvz7E3L2rj537FC~tGZoPt35UCH-j8zEU6GV8AT3akTdAVNnmqQcN5vd8Vb3Hq7DdqH6z7DtSrVXEAG9FnpcnGSG5OUazlOpUg1e4uhOtUeGKiElLIFGI3jPFRiq1OWoRy4KBtGbmcUQ2Y55jmkOGyg5lB~wYh1Co2-rZMWytzzk3W9oTEQaBqA9qrv2jScfyzdStqOCsWWz-OJr8YASyo475TUbumxV0vewSWrZMMUnr~2JTh4sqhgNwrRYVHKez~WDoExSeJGcZhVmIaC5YedI4fyoPdK2blUDRtZTYna0pjtGSMhphSLUP~oBLrh0NCP6Mg4nAiWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Stratford School District","date","2025-06-04T01:24:29Z","article","The Stratford Board of Education held a first reading of a proposed electronic-devices (cell-phone) policy and unanimously approved waiving the first reading on a state-mandated school climate policy that requires restorative-practice planning.

On cell phones, administrators said the incoming state law requires districts to adopt a policy for the 2026–27 school year. The draft policy discussed at the meeting adds a requirement that, at the high school level, a student’s phone be powered down before entering a classroom. The policy committee framed the proposal as a middle ground between a total ban and a permissive model; the district will align the policy language with its student code of conduct and begin outreach to families and staff over the summer.

On the school climate policy, staff asked the board to waive the normal first reading because the state has mandated restorative practices and requires districts to file implementation plans. The board agreed and passed the waiver so building teams can begin drafting plans to submit to the Connecticut Department of Education. District staff emphasized that restorative practice will be used alongside traditional discipline, not as a substitute for consequence, and that Stratford has existing restorative trainers and internal capacity to deliver required training.

Board members noted enforcement and consistency will be critical for the cell-phone policy to be effective and said the district will provide additional training and family messaging if the policy advances to final adoption.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 26, 2025 - Stratford Board of Education - Monthly Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The board accepted a first reading of a new electronic-devices/cell-phone policy and voted to waive the first reading on the state-mandated school climate/restorative-practices policy so building-level plans can be submitted to the state.","taxTitle","Stratford School District, School Districts, Connecticut","taxId",64392,"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},6527106,"Student representatives, seniors and graduates highlight achievements and voice budget concerns",1320,186000,1506000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3649081-caa0d90ea9c4344c1713cbc0ac1f8a70&start=186&end=1506","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3649081-caa0d90ea9c4344c1713cbc0ac1f8a70/thumbnail_186000.jpg","/articles/6527106/Connecticut/Student-representatives-seniors-and-graduates-highlight-achievements-and-voice-budget-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527106-b3cd7144382c2468efccad0f890172ef/orig.mp4?Expires=1770826631&Signature=fOcQIxzzS1LRNuFMpoLlKzKNHDFVBwk6A0GRlWVUiUV4KlBe5ADGozb9~4PynrWT-tQqdEjTLroDFf6I8Of8tpKwvksj-93EFqlbAw7S2LkMxBmgDGBNoakVb3CM~A1hdcjydMVtDOpbFeztcGBzaDKU-uCamkTxWoU-oacOh5bMR5HUGNb-9hgJDlxOkSQjxQCFbgy586hpWsBmm4qxSbMfF1cXu9QKKI~Xdpakw3h5e4vqFRCP2FtylDBZGQvndgXLS3I7lpmYnrnIe63EBrQkwQkzEgNK5zojYMtWsqwMPzFy20zhx1DV35ji6JWqZHnvYUDuBwFn37EJPYXJUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Student representatives and graduates addressed the Stratford Board of Education during the meeting’s public and student comment segments, praising teachers and describing academic and extracurricular achievements while also raising concerns about budget-driven cuts to support services.

Jenna Bernardo, the student representative from Stratford High School, spoke about the loss of a senior and reflected on graduation. \"It is a pleasure to speak with you this evening for the last time,\" she said, and highlighted student progress on advanced coursework and positive test results in math and science.

Zoe Bernard, another student representative, reported on scholarship awards and academic gains: Stratford High School distributed 222 scholarships totaling \"over $300,000,\" she said, and the district’s evidence-based reading and writing scores improved notably from 454 to 482. She also announced that one senior earned a statewide kindness recognition.

Graduate and Bunnell High School student Scott Ezneric shared his personal journey and urged continued support for special-education and behavioral services. \"When I was 2 years old, I was diagnosed with autism,\" he said, describing the therapy and aides that supported his education and warning that budget cuts had previously reduced access to programs he needed. He said those services made college readiness possible for him.

Board members and district staff praised the students’ leadership and thanked volunteers and teachers for the year’s end events. The student speakers underscored both accomplishments — musicals, arts shows, athletic milestones and academic honor societies — and the human impact of budget choices on individual learners.","Student representatives and recent graduates shared year-end achievements, scholarships and personal stories at the Stratford Board of Education meeting, including calls to protect programs serving students with disabilities.",{"_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},6527111,"Board hears special-education deficit update and approves food-service contract renewal",308,2749000,3057000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3649081-caa0d90ea9c4344c1713cbc0ac1f8a70&start=2749&end=3057","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3649081-caa0d90ea9c4344c1713cbc0ac1f8a70/thumbnail_2749000.jpg","/articles/6527111/Connecticut/Board-hears-special-education-deficit-update-and-approves-food-service-contract-renewal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527111-cfc074d4770a6be7518f06a4deb51964/orig.mp4?Expires=1770826631&Signature=D7rxYA9aatzHH12EqfNa2elwEy-8zaVv6XIHQ-jsrFv3IShE-1PRWm5mYHariCHiXdmQTzEq3P-CnJ6bRRKh1fHmhmV~CKlP43wSKuXfGv268pSAmfayX-WSfqehOlDrSQAkhdWgGFz7qOVqNXImHLrRpbSBiUtt4-1qPjJi1GhY~wj2dYATIBh8FwOXVjVxo6wK7zyXrdoKs10nEM-AZ8JyHiobNsk6y2aRVXq1SJNxpifyzGbC~B9TdJHeHMv~pW6zyrW1A2Xqydl9A8tDjg-TApLfbBPLwdeM~fvNnGqIVAFEfU~3dgHBTntRlwOts1hi0owYUkPSk1hrkfDkTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Stratford Board of Education received an update on district finances and voted to renew its food-service management contract with Sodexo as part of a night that also included several routine approvals.

Chief operations/finance staff reported the district’s largest ongoing challenge is its special-education deficit. \"It’s now in the area of exceeding slightly more than 3 point, 5,000,000, 3 point 7 million,\" the district finance official said. The official said the administration has identified offsets in salaries, benefits and transportation and has renegotiated vendor contracts; those actions, combined with recent expense trends, make the district \"optimistic the final... is under $500,000,\" the official added.

On a separate finance matter, the board approved renewing its Sodexo food-service management contract for one year. The agreement carries a management/administrative fee increase capped at 3.8 percent — a cap set by the Connecticut Department of Education — and the district indicated the state has already reviewed and approved the renewal. The administration also recommended retaining the current six-school community eligibility (ISP) configuration rather than expanding districtwide, saying current free-and-reduced numbers do not support districtwide eligibility.

The meeting also included routine consent approvals: the minutes of the April 28 and May 5, 2025 meetings, personnel assignments and the appointment of Kate Cirillo as director of student and staff services. Those items passed by voice vote and were recorded as unanimous.

Votes at a glance
- Minutes (04/28/2025 and 05/05/2025): approved unanimously.
- Personnel assignments (human resources): approved unanimously.
- Appointment: Kate Cirillo, director of student and staff services — approved unanimously (moved by Miss Caddell; seconded by Miss Carol Fabian).
- Food service contract renewal with Sodexo: approved (administrative/management fee increase of 3.8% as approved by the Connecticut Department of Education).
- ELA adoption and digital literacy course: approved (see separate article on curriculum).
- Disney Imagination Campus trip and Bunnell overnight trip: approved unanimously.
- School climate policy: first-reading waiver approved; district will submit required plans to the state.

Board members and staff said the administration will continue close fiscal oversight through fiscal year end and will report final deficit figures when the year closes.","Administrators reported an estimated special-education deficit of roughly $3.7 million but said offsets and fiscal discipline should shrink the year-end shortfall. The board approved a one-year Sodexo food-service contract renewal with a 3.8% state-approved management fee increase and moved a slate of routine items by consent.",{"_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},6527116,"Stratford board approves K–12 digital literacy curriculum with AI component",1251,3549000,4800000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3649081-caa0d90ea9c4344c1713cbc0ac1f8a70&start=3549&end=4800","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3649081-caa0d90ea9c4344c1713cbc0ac1f8a70/thumbnail_3549000.jpg","/articles/6527116/Connecticut/Stratford-board-approves-K12-digital-literacy-curriculum-with-AI-component","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527116-cc8646276a8409e3c9bd48e03b813b8d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770826631&Signature=kApODWCjl1-Q8CyNeDxINN-4z~kt9wv4AukVax2xWrYyeh5V5eQvqJzgv7Q9BSQ4kYpYq38m9LJ8sc3V8q58eoptmBCzQ0NdRj3MNaoN7qcNUP0JkPedgkm8VdhN7oBoiNasa8VbCx5Ng~XceoifRWW0g7Q0wekJO9PUvaUibmIcbOfSOlvm7NOhszOGJB0ctcUBPVKxWpqWR5u0vzXr77HYNhAOTf1kosb9RQPEvfxVv0mC~fshZYmQ6q4IcZCJxakUH~Ew~v0-cZQyZSiscgXXIlVFfmqhORe-i3uqp75r3gBd288F3gbbUGFbJCDd8N60YTU~947rdvn8YtpajQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Stratford Board of Education approved a K–12 digital literacy curriculum designed to teach digital citizenship, information literacy and age-appropriate AI awareness across all grades.

The curriculum, presented by Dr. Michelle Eckler, draws on two free resources — Common Sense Education and Day of AI — and will use a controlled AI platform (Magic School AI) for teacher-led classroom work. \"Our digital literacy program will be designed to support student development at every level, early digital habits through elementary school, and to a AI literacy by graduation,\" Dr. Eckler told the board during the presentation.

The course aims to combine practical skills and ethics: lessons on online safety and privacy, media and information literacy, computational thinking and a sequenced introduction to AI concepts and AI oversight. Dr. Eckler said the state has already adopted Common Sense Education as an official digital citizenship curriculum and that Common Sense materials are \"highly turnkey,\" meaning teachers receive lesson plans, videos and materials ready to use. She told the board the district's internal AI readiness survey flagged teacher concerns about student misuse of AI tools and student privacy as top priorities.

Implementation details the board heard: elementary lessons will be taught during scheduled library/media time by the district's library media specialists (now reframed as technology integration specialists), middle- and high-school lessons will be delivered during advisory or advanced periods, and the district expects to pilot full implementation in the coming school year. Dr. Eckler said the district plans a modest instructional footprint — approximately five or six lessons per year at each grade level — to avoid displacing core instruction.

Board members asked about staffing and delivery. Dr. Eckler said the district will initially use its current technology integration staff, with plans to expand those roles in future budgets. She said the Magic School AI platform restricts students’ access to teacher-created bots rather than open internet AI tools, a measure the district selected to reduce privacy and safety risks. The presentation emphasized the program carries no direct cost: \"The financial impact is 0. 0 dollar financial impact. Common Sense Media is free. The Day of AI is also free,\" Dr. Eckler said.

The board discussed teacher training and family communication; Dr. Eckler said teacher training will be brief and focused and that the district will inform families over the summer ahead of a fall rollout.

The digital literacy course was placed on the consent/approval calendar during the meeting and recorded among the night’s formal approvals.","The Stratford Board of Education approved a K–12 digital literacy course that uses Common Sense Education and Day of AI resources and a controlled AI platform for staff and later students. The program is cost-free to the district and will roll out next school year.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board takes first steps on cell-phone rules and waives first reading on restorative practices mandate

Student representatives, seniors and graduates highlight achievements and voice budget concerns

Board hears special-education deficit update and approves food-service contract renewal

Stratford board approves K–12 digital literacy curriculum with AI component