Ed Board Chair Hagerty-Ross on 2014-2015 Education Budget

The Representative Town Meeting on Monday passed the town's 2014-2015 budget, including the budget for Darien Public Schools, which amounts to more than two thirds of it, after Board of Education Chairperson Elizabeth Hagerty-Ross delivered this speech (presented here as prepared):

Good Evening, Madame Chairman, members of the RTM, elected officials, and the Community of Darien, as you are aware, over the past year, Darien faced a significant challenge in our school district.

In July and September 2013, the Connecticut State Department of Education issued two separate letters of findings detailing multiple violations to State and Federal laws in our Special Education department including:

1.    Unlawful systemic procedures and practices
2.    Unlawful deprivation of meaningful parent participation
3.    Unlawful predetermination
4.    Illegal changes to Individualized Education Programs (IEP) outside of the Planning and Placement Team (PPT) meetings
5.    Improper Data Reporting

The Board of Education hired Attorney Sue Gamm who independently investigated and substantiated these violations. In the short term, the following corrective actions are in process to address these violations:

1.    Review and revision of all district policies, procedures and practices to ensure compliance with IDEA and Section 504
2.    Development and delivery of new guidance and training materials to Darien staff
3.    Identification of all students potentially impacted by illegal guidance and provision of
compensatory services, as required
4.    Strengthening of data management, access, analysis and utilization
5.    Additional staff including a Special Education Ombudsman, Interim Superintendent and Interim Assistant Director of Special Education

During the 2013-2014 school year, the Board undertook aggressive steps to ensure State and Federal regulatory compliance, provide supervision and support, re-establish parent and public trust, and improve student outcomes.

We hired experienced and knowledgeable personnel to determine the appropriate structures and processes to ensure that these violations can never happen again.

The Board of Education and the Administration, now under the leadership and expertise of Dr. Lynne Pierson, our interim Superintendent, and Mr. John Verre, our Special Education Ombudsman initiated a short-term action plan to address the corrective actions required by the state.

A majority of the work included in the short-term plan will be completed before year- end, which sets the foundation for the next few years. Detailed recommendations for medium and long-term action plans, which focus on service quality and student outcomes, are under development and will be finalized by the 2013 school year-end.

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SEE ALSO:

1st Selectman Stevenson Describes 2014-15 Spending

RTM Education Committee Report on Darien Education Budget

Why Taxes Are Going up: Committee Budget Report

Town Taxes up 5.8%, But with Reval Your Bill Likely Will Vary

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The Board of Education also engaged NESDEC (New England School Development Council) who has started the nationwide search for a new superintendent for the Darien Public Schools.

Tomorrow [Tuesday] night, at the Board of Education meeting, we will be addressing the operating deficit for the current school year that will come before this body in June as a request for a special appropriation. These are only the first steps; the rebuilding of our school district’s infrastructure will take many years.

The Administration and Board of Education developed a comprehensive 2014-2015 recommended budget to address the needs of all students and to restore the infrastructure of the Darien Public School system.

On behalf of my colleagues on the Darien Board of Education and our Administration, I submit to you for your approval our 2014-2015 Recommended Budget of $88,135,967, an increase of 5.9 percent over the Approved 2013-2014 Budget. This budget includes many initiatives for all students, including required state directives:

1.    Implementation of the Common Core
2.    Implementation of the new teachers and administrator evaluations
3.    A comprehensive facility study to address enrollment concerns and building
issues
4.    Long-term strategic plan for the school district.

The Board of Education has charged Dr. Pierson with reviewing the current structure of the district at all levels. Dr. Pierson has begun the search for a new Director of Special Education and Student Support.

She has all ready identified the need for a Director of Human Resources who will be responsible for recruitment, hiring, training, and retention of staff.

Dr. Pierson and Mr. Verre have completed their review of the Special Education and School Services Department and their recommendations were incorporated into the 2014-15 budget.

This restructure includes elimination of one Assistant Director and the addition of 6.6 new Special Education and Student Services Facilitators (SESS).

These facilitators will provide the required guidance and technical support at the school level for the processes and procedures in special education and 504 to ensure regulatory compliance with links to accountability and performance to make sure that these violations can never occur again.

In addition to chairing and facilitating the PPT/504 meetings, these facilitators will support parental engagement in the planning process and monitor school accountability for student outcomes.

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ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT CHANNEL 79 REBROADCAST

[TV79, Darien's government television channel, sent out this message early Tuesday afternoon]

Dear TV79 Viewers:

We experienced some technical difficulties with our live coverage of last night's Representative Town Meeting debate and vote on the Town and Board of Education's proposed 2014-2015 budgets.  Our gear is getting old and we apologize that it's proving unreliable.

Because we could not air the first 45 minute of last night's meeting live, we are airing the entire RTM meeting (all 2 hours and 50 minutes) continually today and tomorrow.  We will also re-air the meeting starting this Friday, May 16.

We will carry tonight's Planning & Zoning Commission meeting LIVE at 8 p.m. as it hears about the proposed cell tower at the Ox Ridge Hunt Club.

Again, we apologize for last night's problems.  We are working to keep our equipment operating as best as possible.

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A question that continues to be posed is the role of the assistant principals in our elementary schools. These positions were funded in the 2006-2007 school year.

Their primary responsibility at that point in the schools had been to grow and integrate curriculum and instructional technology for our elementary students and teachers.

With the growth of teachers and direct service providers in our schools, the introduction of the state mandated teacher evaluation system and Common Core the role of the Assistant Principals has greatly expanded.

In shifting the primary Special Education role to the facilitators, our assistant principals will be able concentrate on their ever- expanding duties while continuing to be one of two individuals responsible for running the day-to-day operations for almost 500 elementary students and the implementation of all of the recent unfunded state mandates.

The Board of Education’s capital project budget for 2014-2015 is $797,000. At the high school, with growing enrollment, there is a need to convert locker pods into two additional classrooms and upgrade of security camera software.

Other capital projects include much needed digital heating controls at Royle and Ox Ridge elementary schools, additional security cameras that were identified after the initial safety review last year. Hindley requires some masonry restoration and an update to its fire alarm panel.

Holmes is in need of blacktop replacement and in our vehicle replacement program; the replacement of a truck is included. As requested last year we are including the generator at Ox Ridge.

Thank you for giving us time tonight to recap the events and impacts from the 2013-2014 school year and highlight some of the important items in the 2014-2015 budget.

We would like to thank the members of the Board of Finance, RTM-Education, Finance & Budget Committees, and especially all of our parents who have spent countless hours with us in our many meetings, listening to presentations, preparing for and challenging the Board of Education on the best way to serve our most important population, our students.

The Darien Public Schools, under the leadership of Dr. Pierson has begun to rebuild the infrastructure of our schools. We have only just started our work but with your support of the 2014-2015 Darien Public School budget progress will continue toward the healing that has begun to take place in our district and community.