East Haven Board approves school-climate regulation, grants and committee appointments; executive session added

The East Haven Board of Education on the evening approved a state-required school-climate regulation, accepted two federal/state grants totaling $131,363, appointed the board to serve as the personnel search committee for the superintendent search and approved several routine administrative items. The board also voted to add an executive-session agenda item and moved into executive session for a collective-bargaining update.

The board voted to adopt Regulation 5131.911, described in the meeting as the Connecticut School Climate regulation that accompanies the district's previously adopted Connecticut School Climate Policy. The regulation was presented to the board as the exact regulation districts are required to adopt. The motion passed on a roll-call vote: Miss DePalma—Yes; Mister Hennessy—Yes; Miss Johnson—Yes; Miss Putney—Yes; Miss Santiago—Yes; Mister Stacy—Yes; Doctor DeLucia—Yes. The board recorded the outcome as "motion carries."

Why it matters: Board adoption of the regulation is the formal step the district must take to align local policy with the state-issued regulation the board was told accompanied the state's school-climate policy.

Grants and budgets: The board approved submission of the Family Resource Center grant, described in the meeting as totaling $111,363 and intended to fund staffing (parent advocate and parent educators) and multiple program arms including wraparound services, play groups and partnerships with private daycare centers. The board also approved a Primary Mental Health grant the presenters described as a $20,000 award to fund a part-time staff position to serve a small caseload, supervised by a school social worker or school psychologist. Both grants were approved by roll call. For the Family Resource Center grant the roll call recorded: Miss DePalma—Yes; Miss DeLongo—Yes; Mister Hennessy—Yes; Miss Johnson—Yes; Miss Santiago—Yes; Mister Stacy—Yes; Doctor DeLucia—Yes. For the Primary Mental Health grant the roll call recorded: Miss DePalma—Yes; Miss DeLongo—Yes; Mister Hennessy—Yes; Miss Johnson—Yes; Miss Putney—Yes; Miss Santiago—Yes; Mister Stacy—Yes; Doctor DeLucia—Yes.

Personnel and committees: The board voted to appoint the board of education to serve as the personnel search committee for the superintendent search, "in collaboration with HR and our COOFO" as described in the meeting record. The motion passed with one abstention: Miss Johnson—Abstain; others voting yes included Miss DePalma, Miss DeLongo, Mister Hennessy, Miss Putney, Miss Santiago, Mister Stacy and Doctor DeLucia.

Routine approvals and disposals: The board approved the annual student accident insurance renewal and approved a request from JMMS (English department, instructional leader Erica Tamsen) to dispose of outdated language-and-literature textbooks. Both motions passed on roll call with all recorded voters answering yes.

Field trip item left for clarification: The board reviewed and discussed a proposed out-of-state field trip to the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York on Oct. 29, 2025, for a social-studies-related activity. The packet cover listed 45 students while the trip letter listed 25; the board did not vote on the request and asked staff to follow up and return the item for action once the discrepancy is resolved.

Executive session and negotiations: The board voted to add an executive-session item to provide an update on collective-bargaining negotiations. Following that addition the board moved into executive session for that update. The motion to add the executive-session item passed on roll call: Miss DePalma—Yes; Miss DeLongo—Yes; Mister Hennessy—Yes; Miss Johnson—Yes; Miss Putney—Yes; Miss Santiago—Yes; Mister Stacy—Yes; motion carries. The record shows the board then entered executive session to update negotiations.

What the meeting did not resolve: There was no action recorded on the out-of-state trip because of the student-count discrepancy; no public details about negotiation content were disclosed in the open portion of the meeting.

Votes at a glance: adoption of Regulation 5131.911 (school climate) — Passed (roll-call votes recorded); Family Resource Center grant submission — Passed (roll-call votes recorded); Primary Mental Health grant — Passed (roll-call votes recorded); Appointment of board as superintendent search committee — Passed (one abstention recorded: Miss Johnson); Student accident insurance renewal — Passed (roll-call votes recorded); Asset disposal request (JMMS textbooks) — Passed (roll-call votes recorded); Out-of-state field trip to New York (Richard Rodgers Theatre, 10/29/2025) — Not voted; staff to clarify student-count discrepancy; Executive session to update collective-bargaining negotiations — Added and entered (vote recorded to add).

Ending: The board completed the evening's scheduled approvals and moved into a closed session on negotiations. Several routine administrative actions passed unanimously or with a single abstention; one operational item (the New York field trip) will return for action after staff clarifies the student-count discrepancy.