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‘This Is a Wonderful Community’: New Canaan Public Schools’ Facilities Director Bob Willoughby To Retire

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Saying his wide knowledge, calm manner, diligence, conscientiousness and collegiality has served the kids, faculty and staff of New Canaan Public Schools well through some of the district’s largest capital projects in memory, officials on Monday night honored Director of Facilities Bob Willoughby, who will retire after this academic year. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi recalled that on being hired as New Canaan High School principal six years ago, he made an official visit to the town with his wife and daughters and “we jumped into the elevator to go meet the superintendent, Dr. David Abbey, and there was Bob in the elevator.”

“I always knew there wasn’t a problem you couldn’t solve or figure out, and I always looked to you for your experience and wisdom to do what’s right. It’s going to be hard to fill your shoes but you also taught all of us quite a bit, so we are better off than we would have been without you.”

The board presented Willoughby with a gift and he earned a long ovation from its members as well as about 20 people in attendance at the meeting. They included New Canaan’s highest elected official. First Selectman Rob Mallozzi, who has said he was so impressed with Willoughby’s role in the school district that he created a counterpart position for the town, called the facilities director “a real pleasure to work with.”

“We hit it off immediately and it’s one thing for me to hit it off immediately with him but honestly everyone I know in town has hit it off immediately with this gentleman, and I will miss you incredibly,” Mallozzi said.

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‘We Have Had Children Injured’: District Reviews Capital Needs at New Canaan Public Schools

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Children using playground equipment at New Canaan Public Schools have been injured because there’s been no proper drainage system installed for the mulch that surrounds it, district officials said this week. Playground restoration work is “at a critical stage” where additional work must be done in terms of drainage, new mulch and curbing, according to Bob Willoughby, the district’s manager of facilities operations. While the district inspects its playground equipment annually and makes repairs as needed, “the town supports us with the mulch that goes down, the curbing around them,” Willoughby told members of the Board of Education at their meeting Monday night. “We think we need to more forward on it rather quickly,” he said at the meeting, held in the Wagner Room at New Canaan High School. “We have had some children injured because of the condition of the mulch.”

Willoughby continued: “We did the South [School] playground and replaced all the curbing and mulch.

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Praise (and Surprise) from District Officials with New Crosswalk Installed at High School

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School officials said Monday that they were both surprised by and pleased with a new crosswalk at New Canaan High School that some had called for two years ago. The New Canaan Department of Public Works tore up the area just outside the high school’s main entrance the day before school started and “we were all surprised,” according to Bob Willoughby, the district’s manager of facilities operations. “But [DPW Assistant Director Tiger Mann] was able to get it done,” Willoughby told members of the Board of Education during a meeting Monday night, held in the Wagner Room at NCHS. “He poured the concrete, I think, a couple of hours before school started to get it finished. We are hoping that it’s going to really help some of the issues with the students crossing that road, taking their lives in their hands at times.

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Luizzi: Cause of Water Leak that Prompted Closing of West School on Wednesday Unknown

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Officials on Wednesday evening had not yet determined what caused a leak at West School that prompted the district to close that school for the day. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi said officials have identified where the leak happened since a custodian flagged water in the building early in the morning. “When the custodian went to open the building this morning, one of the things he does in his rounds is to check the boiler room, and he saw some water on the floor of the boiler room,” Luizzi said. The district initially called for a 2-hour delay, then decided simply to close school, citing electrical and other problems. The closing effectively kickstarted April break one day early for West School families. Many of them took advantage of New Canaan Library’s generous offer of an afternoon respite for West School parents, providing a screening of Big Hero 6 in the Lamb Room replete with drop off service and popcorn for the kids.