Board approves personnel, facilities use and capital transfers; committee appointments set

The Waterbury Board of Education voted on multiple items during its Feb. 13 special workshop. Key approved actions included the appointment of a district reading supervisor, approval of a capital transfer to cover elevator projects at two schools, and a facilities-use agreement with the University of Connecticut to support a Waterbury Robotics Institute.

Appointment: The board approved the appointment of Melissa Calabrese as elementary reading and language-arts supervisor, effective immediately. The interim superintendent introduced Calabrese, citing 17 years in the district and work as a literacy facilitator. The motion to approve was made during the meeting and carried with voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the public transcript.

Capital transfer: The board approved a transfer of local capital funds to cover elevator work at Driggs School and Wilson School. The motion was moved by Commissioner Thomas Vanstone and passed by voice vote. Transcript text contains inconsistent totals: a finance presentation earlier listed a requested transfer of $1,935,000 from the capital improvement unallocated sinking fund for elevator and other projects, while the motion later stated a transfer "totaling $1,041,684" and listed Driggs at $537,706 and Wilson at $504,188 (the listed figures sum to $1,041,894). The board recorded a voice vote of "Aye" and the motion carried; no roll-call tally was provided. (See clarifying details for the discrepancy.)

Facilities use: The board approved a facilities-use agreement with the University of Connecticut at no charge to establish access for Waterbury robotics teams to a robotics field and related space. Vice President Brown moved the motion; it passed by voice vote.

Personnel search committee: The board approved the membership of a personnel search committee (board members listed by name at the meeting). The motion passed by voice vote; details of committee duties were not specified in the transcript.

Other procedural votes: The board approved a motion to adjourn at the conclusion of the meeting. Several presented contracts and construction items (including an amendment request for a mechanical contractor and a proposed gym-floor contract) were discussed in committee reports; the transcript does not record separate final votes on those construction items during the public session excerpt provided.

Ending: Where the public record in the transcript shows only voice votes, the board recorded motions as "Aye" and declared them carried; the transcript does not contain a recorded roll-call tally for the approvals listed above.