Waterbury Board appoints technology and special-education supervisors; superintendent outlines back-to-school plans

The Waterbury Board of Education on Aug. 21 approved two administrative appointments, a consent calendar of routine grant and facilities requests and a memorandum of understanding for STEAM activities, and heard a report from Superintendent Dr. Schwartz about preparations for the Aug. 25 start of the school year.

The board voted to appoint David Lucien to the position of supervisor of technology for teaching and learning and to appoint Jillian Slater as supervisor of special education. Commissioner Orso moved the motion to appoint Lucien; a second was recorded but not identified in the meeting transcript. Commissioner Russell moved the motion to appoint Slater; a second was recorded but not identified. The minutes show the motions carried; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally for either appointment.

Why it matters: the hires formalize leadership in two district priorities — classroom technology and special education — shortly before the start of the school year. The meeting also included operational announcements from the superintendent that affect families and staff immediately, including transportation tools, schedule changes for professional development and funding tied to turnaround status for several schools.

Appointments and formal actions

- Appointment of David Lucien: Commissioner Orso moved that the board approve "the appointment of doctor David Lucien to the position of curriculum supervisor of technology and learning, as recommended by superintendent of schools, effective immediately." Dr. Schwartz introduced Lucien’s record in the district, noting his 10 years in Waterbury Public Schools, service as Duggan and Reed computer education teacher, prior interim service in the supervisor role, and certifications as a Google trainer and ISTE-certified educator. The motion carried; the transcript records an abstention during the voice vote but does not list individual vote counts.

- Appointment of Jillian Slater: Commissioner Russell moved that the board approve "the appointment of Jillian Slater to the position of supervisor of special education as recommended by the superintendent of schools with the appointment to take effect upon the execution of an employment agreement." Dr. Schwartz summarized Slater’s prior leadership roles in Torrington and West Hartford and her experience as a department chair in New Milford. The motion carried; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally.

- Consent calendar (items 10.1–10.5): The board approved requests to apply for National School Lunch Program equipment assistance grants for Wallace Middle School and Waterbury Career Academy; an amendment to a memorandum of understanding with Visions to Learn, Inc., to provide no-cost vision screening; and multiple requests for use of school facilities and fee waivers. The consent calendar passed on a single motion; individual vote counts were not recorded in the public transcript.

- Memorandum of understanding with MC2 Technology Inc.: The board approved an MOU at no cost to provide STEAM-related activities for Enlightenment School students.

- Executive session: The board convened into executive session to discuss "the appointment, employment, performance, evaluation, health, or dismissal of a public officer or employee." The board later returned to open session with the record reflecting there were no votes taken during executive session.

Superintendent announcements and operational items

Superintendent Dr. Schwartz provided several operational updates and program details for the start of the 2025–26 school year. Key points she announced included:

- First day of school: "First day of school on Monday, 08/25/2025," Dr. Schwartz said, reminding families of the start date and describing district readiness activities.

- "There will be no secret shoppers in our contractual agreement." Dr. Schwartz said the district had confirmed that language about a "secret shopper" was an addendum and not part of the district’s contract.

- Preschool busing: Dr. Schwartz identified Buck Hill Elementary and Roberto Clemente as the two schools that currently have busing for preschool students.

- Food-waste work: The district is working with a company called Quantum Organics on food-waste issues; Dr. Schwartz said Mr. Albini is discussing the matter with the company and that more information will be provided in the near future.

- Minority-owned engineering firm: Dr. Schwartz said the district has been working with one minority-owned engineering firm on indoor air-quality work and expects the firm to be involved in additional projects.

- Transportation tracking: The district announced a new Durham bus tracker app available in English and Spanish. Dr. Schwartz provided the access code: 4019WPS, and described the app as a way for families to see a bus location in near real time, with some lag expected.

- Commissioner’s Network funding and schedules: Dr. Schwartz said Crosby and Kennedy are entering the commissioner’s network this year, which brings about $900,000 in additional dollars to support those schools. She added that Westside will continue with school-improvement grant funding for one more year because it did not exit turnaround last year, while Wallace and North End have exited turnaround and their commissioner’s network funding has ended. The district is considering continuing additional half-day professional development Wednesdays for Wallace and North End to avoid abrupt loss of supports.

- Back-to-school events and donations: Dr. Schwartz thanked community partners for donations and events: the judicial branch donated school supplies to several high-need schools (Walsh, Enlightenment, Sprague, Reed, Wilson and Duggan); the law firm Moore, O'Brien and Fodi donated nearly 100 backpacks for Kingsbury Elementary; and Bear Youth Services hosted a Back to School Rally at Fulton Park.

- Early college signing: Dr. Schwartz and district staff celebrated an "early college high" signing at Crosby High School; she said 36 incoming Crosby freshmen enrolled in the program.

- Communications metrics: Dr. Schwartz highlighted systemwide communications work, saying district videos and posts produced strong engagement: "combined 200,000 page views on Facebook and Instagram in the last month, an 800% increase in social media in the last 30 days," and she thanked the communications team.

Quotes from appointees

After his appointment, David Lucien addressed the board: "I am humbled and excited to continue this work now as supervisor for technology for teaching and learning. I look forward to supporting our educators, empowering our students, and working alongside all of you to continue see Waterbury thrive." After her appointment, Jillian Slater said she is "very honored to join the Waterbury Public School[s]" and described her background in special education leadership and her interest in working with families and staff.

What the board did not record

Several votes and voice votes in the public transcript do not include roll-call tallies or named vote records. Where the transcript does not record specific vote counts or a named seconder, this article reports the motion, mover (when stated), and the meeting-record outcome; detailed tallies were not specified in the public transcript.

Next steps and context

The board’s personnel appointments take effect as described in the motions: Lucien’s appointment took effect "immediately" as read into the record; Slater’s appointment will take effect upon execution of an employment agreement. The superintendent said additional information on transportation, food-waste work and district staffing will be provided to the board and public in the near term.

The board adjourned following routine business and the motion to adjourn carried on voice vote.