Superintendent: water restored to schools; district adds Jan. 2 off and explains virtual learning limits

Superintendent Dr. Swartz told the Waterbury Board of Education on Dec. 18 that a recent water break caused a three-day disruption but that water service was restored the night before the meeting, allowing schools to operate with proper sanitation while the district awaits negative drinking-water test results.

Dr. Swartz said 16 of the district's buildings use steam heat and therefore require consistent water, and he praised maintenance staff and city departments for working "around the clock" to maintain heating systems and to distribute roughly 40 pallets of bottled water for student use. He said the district will continue to supply bottled water until test results confirm the water is safe and that bottle-filling stations remain disabled until testing clears them.

Addressing calendar implications, Dr. Swartz said Connecticut law requires 180 days of school for the school year to count (the transcript cites "Connecticut General Statutes 10/15 to 10/16" as the statutory reference). Because of lost days and an existing calendar with 181 scheduled days, the district added January 2 as a calendar day off; staff discussed options such as converting a professional-development day to a full day to recover lost instruction time.

Dr. Swartz also told the board the Connecticut State Department does not currently allow the district to offer virtual learning outside of the COVID-era exception, responding to questions and emails asking why virtual learning was not offered during the water disruption.

The superintendent closed his remarks with routine district updates on school recognitions and professional learning opportunities.