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Ellington highlights curriculum gains; Windermere construction and HVAC work continue over summer; district discusses cell-phone limits and school-food vendor’s
Summary
The Ellington Board of Education received a district improvement update on June 10 outlining curriculum rollouts, summer HVAC and Windermere construction work, a district composting rollout and the district’s continuing effort to reduce certain additives in school food.
The Ellington Board of Education received a district improvement plan update on June 10, with Superintendent Dr. Oliver Young highlighting curriculum rollouts, facilities work and several ongoing programs aimed at improving student conditions for learning.
Dr. Young told the board the district organized its improvement plan under three headings—conditions for learning, academic excellence and efficiency/operations—and noted work this year to sustain social-emotional programs (Seeds of Civility, Ellington Unplugged and RULER). On academics, Young said the district rolled out the Illustrative Math program beginning in upper elementary and carried literacy curriculum upgrades through K–3; preliminary state test results show promising growth in math and mixed results in literacy with targeted areas still under review.
On operations, administrators described the Windermere site and the larger HVAC project. The Windermere campus will be a closed construction site beginning Monday, the district said; Center School will undergo HVAC-related renovations this summer to improve air circulation and temperature control. The operations committee also reviewed summer site security and logistics, and members said they will place signage and mailers to notify the public while fencing and locks are in place.
The district plans a phased composting rollout at the start of next school year across the five schools, and the operations committee reviewed trends in free-and-reduced eligibility, unpaid meal balances and nutrition program participation as part of ongoing food-service oversight.
In the superintendent’s report the district said its longstanding school food vendor, Whitsons Food Service, will remove several synthetic dyes and other additives from menu offerings for the 2025–26 school year. Young said the vendor’s changes are voluntary and that the district will publicize the vendor’s revised offerings; he framed the move as part of a broader national and bipartisan movement to improve child nutrition and noted the district’s communications work to engage state and federal representatives on the issue.
Board members asked about the district’s approach to cell-phone use. The board and administrators discussed the recently enacted state requirement to have a smart-device policy and described local initiatives related to Ellington Unplugged, including school “unplugged days,” parent guidance on device controls and district recommendations for more consistent staff enforcement. Student representative Rebecca Willett and board members reported anecdotal improvements during local pilots (for example, a middle-school unplugged day described as initially difficult for some students before many reported a feeling of increased freedom later in the day).
The operations committee also reported on food-service procurement and summer work at Windermere; the committee plans to provide routine updates to the full board. Administrators said more detailed project timing and procurement figures will be provided as bids and estimates are finalized over the summer.
