Waterbury Board approves appointments, elevator projects, policy updates and contracts

The Waterbury Board of Education on March 20 approved a series of routine personnel and operational items, including the appointment of Christina Pacoce Frank as vice principal at Hopeville Elementary School, revised educational specifications for elevator projects at Driggs and Wilson elementary schools, several policy updates to align with state requirements and amendments to vendor contracts.

Why it matters: The actions advance personnel placements, accessibility projects and policy compliance that affect students, staff and facilities. Elevator specifications move accessibility work forward; policy updates reflect recent state-level changes the district said are required for compliance.

Key approvals - Appointment: The board approved the appointment of Christina Pacoce Frank as vice principal at Hopeville Elementary School, effective immediately. Commissioner Orso moved the appointment; the board recorded approval with one abstention and the motion carried. Dr. Pacoce Frank, who has more than 15 years of service in Waterbury Public Schools and was named Teacher of the Year in 2020, addressed the board, saying she is “committed to creating an environment where every student feels valued and capable of reaching their highest potential.”

- Facilities and capital: The board approved revised educational specifications for the proposed Driggs Elementary School elevator project and for the proposed Wilson Elementary School elevator project. These motions were approved by voice vote and recorded as carried.

- Contracts and agreements: The board approved Amendment 1 to the on-call engineering agreement with Freeman Companies, LLC, and approved a modification to the contract with the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board, Inc. Consent items approved included an education affiliation agreement with Writers Health Management, Inc. (dba Cheshire House) for CNA clinical hours, a mentoring/substance-prevention agreement with the Governor’s Prevention Partnership and Webster Bank at Waterbury Arts Magnet School, and state/federally funded grant contracts for arts and career-technical programming.

- Policy updates: The board adopted revised policy 6148 (FAFSA completion programs), policy 6172 (alternative education programs) to conform with recent legislation, policy 0521 (nondiscrimination, as amended 05/17/2018), and Title 9–related district policies including 4000.1 and 5145.44 (title-9 revisions). Board members noted the Title 9 updates bring district policy language into alignment with current state guidance.

- Other governance actions: The board approved standard use-of-facilities and waiver requests subject to fees and insurance, and the personnel search committee was authorized to request a list of 10 candidates for the superintendent position from civil service under section 8(b)(2)(a) of the city charter.

Details and context: Interim Superintendent Dr. Schwartz highlighted several district items in his announcements, including Wilby High School’s continued turnaround designation, recent student achievements in manufacturing and career programs, and FAFSA completion successes at Waterbury Career Academy. The board’s approvals of elevator specifications are part of planned accessibility upgrades; specific project budgets and timelines were not specified in the meeting minutes.

Next steps: Contract amendments and project specifications approved at the meeting advance to procurement and implementation steps within district administration; several approvals referenced further administrative processes (licenses, grant paperwork, or procurement) before work begins.