[{"_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",6484519,"mediaKeyId","5681142-c69447e174225b8e829a34b600c41db7","parentId",5681142,"title","Board approves minutes, personnel actions and conference travel; tables revised policies","audioSeconds",927,"startMs",2939000,"endMs",3866000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681142-c69447e174225b8e829a34b600c41db7&start=2939&end=3866","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681142-c69447e174225b8e829a34b600c41db7/thumbnail_2939000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6484519/Connecticut/Board-approves-minutes-personnel-actions-and-conference-travel-tables-revised-policies","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484519-534a845e4352f3854a2a9961cbe7ffcf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193538&Signature=O5yVDatUwHJ7S5SjD1-6NKWXBGe7CyYGp2KauVi0XIirSR3-fc0WaVEHw~NEmwcNZhcmYTzGRFL~3NhuxTE5I9iAtT5Nks9qtP8Nn5Ak4tr1zldiw~bvFsXV1Imwfoz223EK98DOP0~vhFD8NXKBU7RbgXq8v~C5wuDK88-3duXksh68uD454PsknVym7EnaHVO-X64Jhp32MXRYbtEV3mpET2KINXx7eWPxDyo7t8aUq4TqWiqeAayCLg-sTRAtrYhklS8dolPFMyvy-4NTxVaOSggX5~9Ix5BRJm9ZYwMBJa0LIpkt5k0m0nhwCKntw8zxp90YoXhFE5FMaAiG7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Stratford School District","date","2025-08-26T13:13:10Z","article","The Stratford Board of Education took several routine governance actions, unanimously approving minutes, personnel assignments and superintendent conference travel and assigning a teacher to the district curriculum committee while tabling proposed policy revisions for legal review.

On professional development, the board approved three conference attendances requested by Superintendent Miss Borges and two cabinet members, voting to authorize travel to conferences scheduled for October, November and February. The motion was moved by board member Miss Bedell and seconded by Mr. Bryant and passed by voice vote with all members recorded as \"Aye.\" The superintendent said the expenses were budgeted within the cabinet professional development line; specific costs were not provided at the meeting.

The board accepted the minutes for the June 23, 2025 regular meeting and the July 30, 2025 special meeting and approved personnel assignments and resignations as presented. The personnel motion was moved by Miss Vidal and seconded by Mr. Cormier and passed unanimously.

On committee appointments, the board appointed Afton Gilliard (gifted and talented teacher) to the curriculum committee for the remainder of the committee’s term; the administration confirmed the teachers’ union had no objection. The appointment passed on a unanimous vote.

The board also considered a packet of revised policies. Following several questions about language that affects parents’ recourse and the board’s role in complaint escalation, a motion to table the policy packet for attorney review and for staff to provide the most recent external policy references was made and seconded; the board approved the motion to table.

Members flagged the need for clarity on parent complaint procedures and whether certain grievance steps removed from the draft policies should remain. The superintendent and board agreed to seek advice from counsel and return the packet for further consideration at a future meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","August 25, 2025 - Stratford Board of Education - Monthly Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Stratford Board unanimously approved acceptance of minutes, personnel assignments and professional development travel requests, appointed a curriculum committee member and tabled a set of revised policies for attorney review.","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},6484524,"Board votes to reinstate HoneySpot building as a public alternative instructional placement school",517,4446000,4963000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681142-c69447e174225b8e829a34b600c41db7&start=4446&end=4963","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681142-c69447e174225b8e829a34b600c41db7/thumbnail_4446000.jpg","/articles/6484524/Connecticut/Board-votes-to-reinstate-HoneySpot-building-as-a-public-alternative-instructional-placement-school","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484524-b63c348f65b3857d47c7a7e8ccbf7ebf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193538&Signature=GNT5S~zmm35GnWoefYR5Mr7Bitwfb98mxvF~bF3yZq8gmHYfNbFYY-JSL4mdGmtvo3K0FwhifBYIZK4EocdEEfc1-Du4~VJvVv96H00IvCJobLPSjYwLduKV1YY2Dy8RWRl8WoU0lDXos9wa5UPzCTtgYfsvvLPZVXoQ33zxwB92ghsf4WxycFGKfXOR9tFgws~Ec9T6mRFTgb8kKmeIJPU5DEhOllg9MsocyyY-OAVGaf1PgC-5Own1-F7WpbkDjQmFw5VP5mQgDdb9EgQVszUdtDvW3PLYqQGnBUf4N4SG3G~UW21-jJvZeXJaral~bqNQDoV4t-NOlpltFiYcsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Stratford Board of Education voted unanimously to request that the town reinstate the HoneySpot facility as a public school classified as an alternative instructional placement (AIP), enabling the district to apply for state seed and construction grants scheduled to open in November.

Board members said reinstatement is a procedural step: the board votes to request the school designation, then the town conducts building inspections (including fire marshal review) and decides whether to fund required renovations. The superintendent and board members said past capital planning already includes funds for HoneySpot improvements and that the district would likely ask for boiler replacement, roof work and, ultimately, the demolition and replacement of an aging portable section.

District leaders described the purpose of seeking grant funding as expanding services for students with emotional and behavioral needs, lessening expensive out‑of‑district placements, and supporting regional collaboration so other towns could tuition students into targeted programs. The superintendent said the district would continue existing programs that use the HoneySpot site — including Project Uplift and placements for suspended or expelled students — and that such programs can operate in separate portions of the building.

The board’s roll call showed unanimous approval; the chair cast the final affirmative vote. The district will forward the board’s request to the town so state grant applications may proceed if the town approves the school designation and necessary building work.","The Stratford Board voted unanimously to reinstate the HoneySpot facility as an alternative instructional placement (AIP) school so the district can apply for state seed and construction grants to expand programming for students with emotional and behavioral needs.",{"_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},6484529,"Victoria Soto Preschool details seats, funding and plans for modest expansion",1354,915000,2269000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681142-c69447e174225b8e829a34b600c41db7&start=915&end=2269","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681142-c69447e174225b8e829a34b600c41db7/thumbnail_915000.jpg","/articles/6484529/Connecticut/Victoria-Soto-Preschool-details-seats-funding-and-plans-for-modest-expansion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484529-1e2853eb0d378e730237dd0d128ef2d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193538&Signature=WgDIozmZaJ4Y6pfkyHPQp7qJk5FkJmv9aI3tRrioeEMqIVz4lQJARL3k-sipFFjgiPFs2VtcidJpKvKLgvb432bEeASd~QWnm~l8sss68~zx8t6vt773IyN0b7x02RT~eeDKOgmN05iAsUzpD46n4YSMKIYHPfa-ydFpeCtXsiB-09x18gy30RE5iiGAltx78NGSWSbwgUcOzgTXps0wPLuSf6oXRr5XMslgtnhlrdb60IjhYRh~3nwjoFGczOAJgUWwwChHZP9uuLhqiv9kfDgGLeuOKKCyuBH7YjgDLA8yk76ngDMTnS6D8XRZ8cpyd-lHwgh5sddKo-NUXGNGPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The director of Stratford’s Victoria Soto Preschool outlined program operations, funding and an expansion plan that would add classrooms if the district secures construction support.

Director Erica (surname not specified in the transcript) told the Board the program is accredited, grant‑funded and now consolidates multiple earlier grants under the state’s Early Start Connecticut grant. She said the preschool offers multiple program types — full‑day full‑year, school‑day school‑year, half‑day peer‑model seats and an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program — and described an integrated peer model for inclusion of students with special needs.

Erica said the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) provides the Early Start Connecticut grant seating allocations and that Victoria Soto received 18 full‑day full‑year grant seats and 106 school‑day school‑year seats, for 124 grant‑funded seats in total. She explained grant eligibility is based on family income and that parents must supply income tax documentation for state verification. Erica said tuition for a full‑day full‑year seat is $15,000 annually (11 payments), and school‑day school‑year seats are $7,500 annually (9 payments); peer‑model half‑day tuition was listed as $2,000 annually.

The director described other funding sources: sliding‑scale parent tuition, Care for Kids subsidies, IDEA funds and contributions from the Stratford Board of Education. She said the program is closer to self‑sustaining than in previous years but that the district still pays salary and benefit costs for approximately 14 positions and covers mandated special‑education staffing costs.

On capacity and expansion, Erica said the building currently can serve up to 248 students and that one additional classroom could increase capacity further if the district can construct a bathroom and add an exterior door. She said the school applied for — or planned to apply for — construction funding and that any expansion would be pursued conservatively because preschool staffing is a statewide challenge.

Erica highlighted community partnerships and workforce development: a STAR grant partnership creating four apprentices hired as teacher‑twos who will earn child development credentials while working in the building; regular programming with the Stratford Public Library, Parents’ Place and local nonprofits; and a planned aftercare partnership with the YMCA for 2:30–5:30 p.m.

Board members asked for a financial breakdown of operating costs and revenue; the director and district staff agreed to provide a detailed “dollars and cents” summary for the board’s review. The Stratford chief operating officer and others said the district covers benefits for preschool employees and that a full financial analysis would help future expansion planning.","Preschool director described program structure, funding mix, seat counts, tuition rates, partnerships and a possible classroom expansion that would require a bathroom and exterior door.",{"_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},6484534,"State Board leaves investigation open into CTECS special‑education practices",183,395000,578000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681142-c69447e174225b8e829a34b600c41db7&start=395&end=578","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681142-c69447e174225b8e829a34b600c41db7/thumbnail_395000.jpg","/articles/6484534/Connecticut/State-Board-leaves-investigation-open-into-CTECS-specialeducation-practices","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6484534-a6f6ca50debb265b3c87cbf692360ecb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193538&Signature=B97qo5Rjp4KhOgWdApvsJ4L7YAJdfXXg0mrdicuQ6hcScPKj94kSxzEcRvvvEh2OMlnv~DhDkOsmpVsJqzCYg5AfXPPkj5mrMeJCQJ~aK99zdFMqswq3MCrOX0FG0qoL894p~5bBMU2f8AxUIpRR6n~rkm6ZzGizoL-avB5e-KJVHtxiYAtIbDe1M8BH4dJYXMrRCdvHrZ34Y5f7PmJy5WOU0z99AAeUFj1L-GdaXHVnlmhYLBS8QAy3Jfr-sgUMB5XLGSXV0a9Z4MnwTKgbNLnE8UJEfhiyqw9sUj2v9OS04hG4a87AtCID9A1CH1cdq7nO-AICZ6TosVWd2b9abQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A representative to the Connecticut State Board of Education told the Stratford Board of Education that the state board voted to leave a 10‑4b complaint open against the Connecticut Technical Education Career System, known as CTECS, while state staff continue monitoring compliance.

The complaint, first brought to the state board last November, alleged that so‑called safety review committees were being used to exclude students with special education needs from CTECS programs. At the Stratford meeting the state board representative said the board’s investigation found problems but that recent administrative changes at CTECS — including a new executive director — have led to corrections that align CTECS practices with federal and state law.

The representative said the state board’s vote to keep the matter open allows the Department of Education to monitor the system during the coming school year and then make one of three recommendations: continue monitoring, refer the matter to a full inquiry panel of the state board, or close the investigation. The representative also said enrollment of students with 504 plans and individualized education programs is now “very much in line” with school districts across the state.

Stratford board members asked whether state policy trends were affecting local decisions; the representative described growing national interest in school cell‑phone policies and said Connecticut has been sharing its guidelines with other states. The representative also noted committee assignments and said she serves on the legislation and policy development and school accountability and support subcommittees.

The state board representative offered to report further at the Stratford board’s September meeting after the next state board meeting.

The Stratford board did not take a formal vote on the CTECS matter; the item was an information update from the state board representative.","A State Board of Education representative told the Stratford Board the state will keep a 10‑4b complaint open against the Connecticut Technical Education Career System while monitoring enrollment and practices for the coming school year.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves minutes, personnel actions and conference travel; tables revised policies

Board votes to reinstate HoneySpot building as a public alternative instructional placement school

Victoria Soto Preschool details seats, funding and plans for modest expansion

State Board leaves investigation open into CTECS special‑education practices