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Board hears plan to move Family Resource Center to Moriarty Elementary to expand preschool services
Summary
District staff recommended relocating the Family Resource Center from Mahan Elementary to Moriarty Elementary to better serve families and expand the 12‑month preschool program; the board gave verbal approval and no formal vote was required.
Norwich Public Schools staff recommended April 8 that the district move its Family Resource Center (FRC) from Mahan Elementary to Moriarty Elementary to take advantage of larger space and the district’s 12‑month preschool program at Moriarty.
Corey (the district’s pre‑K/early‑childhood coordinator) presented the committee’s needs assessment and several comparative data points between the two schools, noting Moriarty’s larger building, a full‑day/full‑year preschool model that runs roughly 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and service patterns that draw families districtwide into the Moriarty program. "The question for our FRC committee is, would our family resource center better serve our community if it was located at Moriarty rather than Mahan?" Corey asked the board, and the committee’s recommendation was to relocate the FRC for the coming school year.
Cindy Beauregard, who leads the FRC program, described the FRC’s seven grant‑funded components — play-and-learn groups, parent education and home visiting (Parents as Teachers), resources and referrals, adult education and parenting workshops, quality childcare and school‑readiness programs, before/after‑school supports, and positive youth development activities. Beauregard said the FRC receives a standard state grant of $111,000 and supplements that work with community partnerships, mobile food pantry events, Thanksgiving baskets, a limited summer program, and other family services.
Staff summarized the comparative data: Moriarty enrolls about 425 students versus Mahan’s roughly 263; Moriarty’s preschool has capacity near 72 and currently serves about 55, while Mahan’s preschool enrollment stood near 54. School‑level indicators in the presentation showed somewhat lower SBAC proficiency percentages at Moriarty in several tested grades, which presenters said strengthens the case for concentrating early‑childhood and family supports at Moriarty to generate districtwide benefits.
Zach, a member of the FRC committee, and other presenters outlined next steps: staff will revise the state FRC grant application to designate Moriarty as the FRC site for the upcoming year and submit that revision by May 1. Presenters emphasized flexibility, noting the FRC is a "center without walls" and many services are delivered virtually or off‑site through community partnerships.
No formal board vote was required. The chair gave the presenters their "blessing," and the board instructed staff to proceed with the grant revision and continued coordination with state program requirements.
Why it matters: Moving the FRC to Moriarty would concentrate full‑day early‑childhood services and family supports in a facility that serves students from across the district, potentially expanding access to parent education, home visiting, and additional preschool slots. Staff emphasized the move was intended to increase services and reach, not to reduce existing supports at Mahan.
Board response and next steps: Board members voiced support; presenters will submit the grant revision by May 1 and maintain flexibility during an ongoing district building project. Staff asked for the board’s informal approval to proceed, which was given verbally during the meeting.
