Westcott Honored at Final Board of Education Meeting

Board of Ed bids fond farewell to Westcott

School administrators and Board of Education members celebrated the service of chairman Kim Westcott at their meeting on Tuesday, the final scheduled one before her term ends.

Westcott announced in April that she would not seek a fourth term on the board this fall. She has served as its chairman since November 2009.

Superintendent Stephen Falcone hailed Westcott as a servant leader, reading an excerpt from a Robert Greenleaf essay.

“The role of a servant first is to make sure that people’s needs are met first,” Falcone said. “I can only suggest that those who we do serve are healthier, freer, and more autonomous because of what Mrs. Westcott has done.”

“I want to thank you for being a servant leader in Darien,” Falcone said. “We thank you for your work. It is a model we will continue to follow.”

Westcott praised her fellow board members and administrators, calling their partnership a success.

“It’s a pleasure to serve with folks like you all,” Westcott said. “Obviously, we could not do anything without our administration. Thank you for making our couple of years so interesting and stimulating.”

Board member George Reilly presented a citation of appreciation and commended Westcott's work on the Building Committee. Besides crafting budgets and scrutinizing teachers contracts, Reilly said, she showed great integrity.

“Her term has been characterized by careful consideration of the issues,” he said. “She provided a graceful sendoff to [now-retired superintendent] Don Fiftal … Kim held herself to the highest standards of integrity.”

Board member Susan Perticone said Westcott sought to serve the students first and foremost.

“Kim’s request was to go quietly this evening. For the last 13 years, Kim has devoted her time to improving education in Darien,” Perticone said. “She is part of the team that opened a new high school and managed to get lights brought to the Darien High School athletic field.”

Perticone presented a jacket to Westcott, while vice chairman Elizabeth Hagerty-Ross said the board would make a donation in Westcott’s name to the school district.

Turf vs. grass

Superintendent Stephen Falcone briefed the Board of Education Tuesday on the maintenance costs and condition of athletic fields at .

A standard turf athletic field costs $500,000 to $550,000 and lasts for 10 to 12 years, Falcone said, while a grass field costs around $180,000 to $200,000 to maintain during the same period.

“We pay for seed, fertilizer, and topsoil,” Falcone said. “We have arranged with our local youth groups who pay $23 [per person] to use our fields. We try to put the money into natural grass fields. … The reality is we are doing our best."

"On the other hand, it is hard to keep up with them [school athletic teams]. ... Everything is not looking like Fenway Park," Falcone added.

Board splits 7-2 on gift to IDEA program

Shyamla Menon, co-president of Darien Advocates for the Education of the Gifted, requested the board's approval Tuesday to donate three Apple MacBook Pro laptop computers and three Apple iPod Touches to the IDEA program.

Many gifted students in Darien participate in the IDEA program, which is designed to foster critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork.

“We fully believe that once kids have the laptop, they will use it,” Menon said. “It is going to be great in all the grades.

"We would like to present this in memory of Barbara Harrington, who passed away in August," she added.

The board accepted the gift by a vote of 7 to 2.

Clara Sartori, who voted against the resolution, said she had "a bit of discomfort with this gift being given only to the IDEA students."

Board member Morgan Whittier voted in favor but noted that IDEA students do not usually receive gifts.

“I do not want to start a push-pull between the IDEA program and special education,” Whittier said.

Amy Bell joined Sartori in voting nay.