Sixth-grade teacher and residents criticize late, budget-driven staffing plan; board agrees to further review

Castanza, a sixth-grade teacher, told the North Stonington Board of Education she and her colleagues first learned of a staffing plan that reduces grade-level teachers only at the meeting and said the changes felt driven by the budget rather than curriculum needs. "Please ask the teachers. We're the ones who deliver the instruction," Castanza said, urging the board to involve classroom staff in planning.

Board members and administrators acknowledged confusion about how positions were shifted and said they should have asked more questions during the budget process. One board member said the movement of roles was presented during budget discussions but conceded the specifics were not clearly understood by all members.

In public comment, resident Rob Snellgrove echoed concerns about communication and asked whether the proposed integrated science and social studies curriculum is fully developed and aligned with state standards. He urged the administration to provide the actual curriculum plan and examples from similar districts before the board adopts the changes.

Members noted the district is in transition: a new superintendent will begin in days and board members said they will give that incoming superintendent time to assess the plan and report back. The board directed staff to provide more detail on how 75-minute combined science/social studies blocks will compare to separate periods and to share curriculum materials with teachers, parents and the board ahead of implementation.

The meeting record shows no formal policy change or vote on classroom schedules during this session; the board framed the next step as further review and a reporting back by the incoming superintendent.