Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Performance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Crosby High officials and students highlight steady gains in attendance, graduation and early college participation
Summary
Crosby High School staff and students showcased school improvements — enrollment 1,428; early college program; gains in postsecondary entrance and graduation rates; decreases in suspension and chronic absenteeism — and outlined ongoing projects including an HVAC renovation and a Bulldog Bistro opening in 2025.
Crosby High School staff and students briefed the Waterbury Board of Education on May 1 about school improvements and ongoing projects, citing enrollment of 1,428 students and several academic and climate gains.
Saxon Thoms, identified as Crosby’s student council president, and school leaders described a range of changes they said have contributed to improved outcomes, including leadership focus areas on safety, academics, student behavior and ninth-grade “on-track” status.
Key items presented by school leaders and students in the meeting record include:
- Enrollment: “Our current enrollment is 1,428,” the school presentation states.
- Early College program: Crosby runs an Early College High School partnership with Post University that allows a cohort of students to earn an associate degree before high school graduation; the program was singled out multiple times in presentations.
- Postsecondary entrance: Presenters said the rate of students attending two- or four-year colleges rose from 47% to 54% over the past year.
- SAT and assessment gains: Presenters said Grade 11 math proficiency on the SAT rose from less than 1% four years ago to preliminary increases over 10 percentage points; evidence-based reading and writing proficiency rose from 16% to 21% in the prior year, with further improvement expected based on preliminary data.
- English learner (EL) gains: Staff cited improvements on a state EL literacy assessment (an 11-percentage-point improvement in literacy and about a 14-point gain in oral language measures for English learners year over year) and credited ESL staff including the teacher of the year, Julie Giannetti.
- Ninth-grade on-track and attendance: Crosby reported 84% of ninth graders on track (defined in the presentation as earning six or more credits) and an 8% decline in chronic absenteeism; presenters said incentives, increased activities and targeted interventions contributed to attendance gains.
- Student behavior: The school reported a 10% decrease in suspensions compared with 2022–23, citing a shift toward alternative interventions and creation of a "Shaping Students Behaviors" team that assigns support staff to caseloads for daily check-ins.
- Safety and technology policy: The school said implementation of a revised technology policy, including pouch checks and ID collection at entry, and deployment of a Halo system helped reduce on-campus vaping and related incidents.
- Facilities and programs: Crosby leaders described a full HVAC renovation underway, a new fitness center, a renovated auditorium with an upcoming student-written play in May, new science classroom furniture to support NGSS labs, and a planned “Bulldog Bistro” restaurant opening in fall 2025. The school also hosts an ION Bank branch for student internships on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Students at the meeting, including Sinclair (a senior in the Early College program), and student representatives endorsed the changes and said the school feels more positive and welcoming. Board members and the interim superintendent praised staff and student leaders for the progress and asked for dates for upcoming events such as the school play.
All facts in this article are drawn from the school presentation and public discussion recorded in the meeting transcript.
