Weston Board appoints Erica Forte as superintendent; contract approval draws board concern over pay and process

The Weston Board of Education on June 25, 2025, voted to appoint Erica Forte as superintendent of Weston Public Schools and separately approved a contract for her employment, with the appointment vote recorded as five in favor, one opposed and one absent.

Board members stressed the appointment and contract were subject to finalization of contract terms. Board Chair Steve called for the motions; the board approved the contract after discussion, and several members who spoke during deliberations raised concerns about salary levels, how the contract was negotiated and the potential long-term fiscal effects on the district.

The board’s vote to appoint Forte followed a formal motion and a roll-call-style tally: the chair announced the appointment vote result as five in favor, one opposed and one absent. Board member David said explicitly, “But I am voting no on this,” and later explained he had “struggled ... with the superintendent search process” and with the overall fit. David said he would nonetheless “be rooting for her” once she assumes the role.

Other board members focused their remarks on the contract rather than the appointment. One board member raised objections to the way recent salary increases were handled and said the Forte contract “was entirely negotiated by the board chair and an unelected member of the board, Jessica, the attorney.” That speaker also argued the board had missed opportunities to structure compensation with more long-term fiscal sustainability in mind and expressed a preference for backloading pay or tying portions to performance.

During the contract discussion, board members recorded at least two explicit “no” votes on the contract: David and Michael. The transcript records Sharon, Lisa and Peter voting “yes” during the roll call for the contract; other individual roll-call entries in the record were partially garbled. The chair and staff confirmed the motion carried; the contract is to be finalized and executed by the board chair on the board’s behalf.

Because the start date for Forte was not yet finalized in the meeting, the board also appointed Tina Henkel to serve as acting superintendent on a short-term basis. The board moved to appoint Henkel effective July 1, 2025, continuing until the earlier of Oct. 1, 2025, or the date the new superintendent commences employment. That appointment was made “subject to the approval of the commissioner of education in accordance with Section 10-157 of the Connecticut General Statutes,” as stated in the motion, and the acting appointment passed unanimously on recorded voice/roll-call votes.

The board voted to terminate the superintendent search process and to dismiss the superintendent search committee as a final procedural step tied to Forte’s appointment. Members emphasized that Forte’s contract must still be finalized and that her official start date will depend on when she signs and the district completes any remaining steps.

What was not decided at the meeting: the transcript shows the precise dollar units for the salary figures discussed were not specified in the record provided. One board member described a negotiation proposal as changing the salary “from $2.80 to $2.60, with a potential bonus of $20,000,” but the transcript did not specify whether those figures are in thousands or another unit. The contract approval therefore remains contingent on the finalized written terms.

The appointment, the contract approval and the short-term acting appointment together conclude the board’s special meeting on the superintendent transition. The district said the effective start date for the superintendent will be set after contract execution and that Henkel’s acting term is limited and subject to commissioner approval.