Middletown board session honors student, acknowledges community grief and spotlights student achievements

The board’s Jan. 15 meeting opened with a moment of silence for 6‑year‑old Megan Alicia Ortiz Guzman. Jessica Rodriguez, a building student support facilitator at the Maple Hill Annex, thanked the community for outpouring support for the family and said a GoFundMe had raised roughly $6,800 while staff donations totaled about $2,500.

The meeting then moved to recognitions. Jim Anderson of the Elks Lodge presented James Hicks as the student of the month. Elisa Schreiner, a principal at the high school, described Hicks’s academic turnaround, his participation in the Reconnect Learning Program and being part of a micro school where he earned honor‑roll recognition for the first time.

District leaders then introduced a ‘Legacy’ video that traced leadership programming across the district: Leader in Me lighthouse teams, early college credits, Promise Micro School supports, student councils and service projects. Presenters emphasized the role of extracurriculars, arts and leadership experiences in students’ development.

Family members and staff asked the board to continue supports for grieving families and to increase health/flu awareness among district families and staff.

The board offered formal condolences and reminded residents about family‑support resources; no new policy changes were made during the meeting.