News

New Canaan Public Schools Enrollment Projections Call for Slight Decline Next Academic Year

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Despite a high number of move-ins in this strong local real estate market, enrollment projections for New Canaan Public Schools call for an overall slight decline next academic year, district officials say. As of June 18, the district had 4,070 students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade, and is projected to reach 4,095, according to data made public at last week’s Board of Education meeting. The figures compare to 4,176 students enrolled K-12 in the school year that just ended, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jill Correnty said during the June 21 Board of Ed meeting, held in the Wagner Room at New Canaan High School. District officials said that by the time the 2021-2022 starts, the enrollment figures could end up rising, for a number of reasons. Many of the move-ins likely not have enrolled their children yet, Correnty said, and the figures do not include those who are “pre-registered” or in the process of finalizing residency and other documentation for the district.

News

‘Her Legacy Will Continue To Inspire’: Board of Ed Honors the Late Hazel Hobbs

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The Board of Education on Monday honored Hazel Hobbs, a longtime New Canaan resident and educator who passed away June 20. Hobbs was a “dedicated, loyal and longtime volunteer at the New Canaan Public Schools, and a cherished member of this board,” Chair Katrina Parkhill said during the elected body’s regular meeting, held in the Wagner Room at New Canaan High School. “She served on this Board of Education for multiple terms, including three years as chair. When she retired only a few years ago, we joined together to honor her for her exceptional contributions to our schools and our community over the years. Hazel was a devoted and passionate member of our community, and a leader in education serving both our community and many others around us.

News

New Canaan’s Pat O’Connell Joins Board of Education Following Unanimous Vote

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The Board of Education on Wednesday night voted unanimously to approve a longtime resident and 1988 New Canaan High School graduate to fill an open seat on the elected body. Pat O’Connell will join the Board following a 5-0 vote at a special meeting, held in the Wagner Room at NCHS. 

The Republican will fill the unexpired term of Julie Mackle Reeves, who resigned this month due to a move out-of-state. The term expires in November 2023. “As a longtime member of our community and an active volunteer over the years, Pat brings a wealth of knowledge and will be an advocate for our schools and our students,” Board Chair Katrina Parkhill said. “His professional experience and financial background will add to the breadth of skills and experience on our Board.”

Parkhill, Secretary Jennifer Richardson and Penny Rashin, Dionna Carlson and Sheri West voted in favor of O’Connell joining the Board.

Board of Education

Superintendent: Elementary School Kids To Begin at 8 a.m. Under Revised Start Times Schedule

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District officials said Monday night that they’ve figured out a way to push back the start time for elementary school kids under a planned new schedule from 7:50 a.m. to 8 a.m.

By adding two smaller-size “type 2” buses to its fleet, the district can “shave off” run time for buses that currently must travel out-of-town in order to find a place to turn around before picking up more kids and getting them to school, according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi. At a cost of $63,000 apiece, the two smaller buses (seating about 16 to 20) would be operated by drivers already employed by New Canaan Public Schools and “they would shave off the couple of longest runs and help us move our time tighter and get to that 8 o’clock,” Luizzi told members of the Board of Education during their regular meeting. “We can get to 8 o’clock with our first tier, the elementary kids,” he said during the meeting, held in the Wagner Room at New Canaan High School. “It’s 8:35 [a.m.] for our second and 9:20 [a.m.] for our third, but we will keep working on the other two,” he said. “What we are doing is what we said, we are going to continue to dive into it, to look at it, to refine the runs,” Luizzi said.

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Letter from Board of Ed to Public Schools Faculty, Staff and Administration 

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As this school year comes to a close, we want to celebrate and thank each of you for your extraordinary efforts these past fifteen months. We could never have imagined how much the world would change during this period of time or the countless ways you would adapt and evolve the educational experience to support our students. We are immensely proud of all that you have accomplished this year. Thanks to your compassion, professionalism, and courage, our students had the opportunity to spend almost all of their school days learning in person this year. Additionally, the strength of your relationships, your trust in one another, and your commitment to our students positioned us well to address these challenges with confidence and resolve. 

Guided by the district’s robust COVID operating plan, you reinvented and digitized daily plans and schedules, redesigned classrooms and lunchrooms, communicated with families regularly, and adjusted to a myriad of new teaching platforms, technologies, and building protocols.