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Board refers Bassett gym and parent‑center naming questions to facilities committee
Summary
Public commenters and board members asked the facilities committee to address a missing dedication plaque for the Bassett High School gym and whether a parent center should be named for a longtime volunteer. Trustees said naming the gym had been previously supported and referred both matters to the facilities committee for planning and ceremony.
A pair of public comments at the Bridgeport Board of Education’s Sept. 22 meeting prompted trustees to refer naming questions for Bassett High School facilities to the district’s facilities committee.
Jim Mazzaro, a Bassett alumnus, told the board that he had been told the Bassett gymnasium would be renamed for Bernie Lofton at the school’s opening day but found no recognition in the gym. “It was told to us that Bassett High School gymnasium was, was supposed to be renamed after Bernie Lofton at opening day...and in the gymnasium, there's no Bernie Lofton whatsoever in that gym. That's a shame,” Mazzaro said.
Mazzaro also said his mother, a longtime volunteer, had been promised recognition at a parent center and that the family felt excluded when the parent center opened without that dedication.
Board members said the Lofton naming had been discussed and supported by the board previously and that the Facilities Committee should plan the plaque and ceremony. Board member Robert Traver asked that both the gym naming and the proposed parent‑center dedication be placed on the facilities committee agenda for discussion and to bring recommendations back to the full board.
Why it matters: Naming public school facilities recognizes community members and can affect how the district honors volunteer service. Trustees said some questions may be procedural — how prior approvals were recorded and how ceremonies are scheduled — and recommended committee review to plan next steps.
Next steps: The facilities committee will review the prior vote and plan a plaque and ceremony for the gym and will take up the parent‑center naming request. Board members said they hoped the items could be handled promptly and possibly scheduled near each other.
No formal renaming vote was recorded at the Sept. 22 meeting; trustees referred the matter to the facilities committee for action and detailed planning.
