5.13.2025 Regular Meeting Minutes

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COLCHESTER BOARD OF EDUCATION
Regular Meeting

 

 

 

Tuesday, May 13, 2025
5:00 PM
William J. Johnston Middle School Black Box Theatre

MINUTES

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT : Chair Donna Antonacci, Vice-Chair Christopher Rivers, Secretary
Margo Gignac, Alexander Oliphant, Michelle Millington, Rosemary Gignac and Stefanie
Tracey-Calash.

ADMINISTRATION PRESENT : Superintendent Daniel P. Sullivan, III, Assistant Superintendent
Jessica L. Kuckel, Director of Pupil Services Eve Hurley, Assistant Director of Pupil Services Rebecca
Tedesco, Bacon Academy (BA) Principal Amy Begué, BA Assistant Principal Michael Mal, William J
Johnston Middle School (WJJMS) Principal Christopher Bennett, Colchester Elementary School (CES)
Principal Judy O’Meara, CES Assistant Principal Meghan Amado.

OTHERS PRESENT : Director of Finance and Operations Rachel Linkkila, Instructional Technology
Coordinator Barbara Johnson, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Alyssa Fratoni, Student
Board Member Abigail Stillwell

1. MEETING OPENING
“11. Call to Order
D.Antonacci called the meeting to order at 5:00 PM

1.2 Roll Call
M.Gignac and R.Gignac present via Zoom.
A.Oliphant, M.Millington, C.Rivers, D.Antonacci and S.Tracey-Calash present in person.

13 Pledge of Allegiance

2. *ADDITIONS / CHANGES TO THE AGENDA
2.1. “Proposed New Agenda Item
Motion by: C.Rivers
Motion to add BA Exam Bus under the Superintendent’s Report section.
Second: M.Gignac
Roll Call: All in favor
Vote: Motion carried

3. RECOGNITIONS / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
3.1. Recognition of Bacon Academy Class of 2025 Valedictorian and Salutatorian
BA Principal Amy Begué presented Charles Rose as Bacon Academy’s Class of 2025
Salutatorian. Congratulations Charles! The Class of 2025 Valedictorian will be recognized at the June
Board Meeting.

 


 

AStillwell arrived at 5:03 PM

3.2. ERTA Program Spotlight Presentation :

Program Leaders Alisha Natelle and Joe Prignano, along with students Victoria and David,
presented what ERTA has been up fo this school year. From working programs to field trips, students
have been having a great time!

4. STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS REPORT
4.1. Report from Student Board Members

A.Stillwell stated that Valedictorian and salutatorian recognitions have taken place, along with
preparations and celebrations for prom. Junior Wellness Day was held and Staff Appreciation Week
was celebrated, recognizing the hard work and dedication of faculty and staff. Bacon Science Night
was a success, engaging students and families in hands-on science experiences. AP testing is
currently underway. Band and choir concerts are approaching and spring sports seasons are
wrapping up. Additionally, plans are underway for the annual Grad Walk and graduation
preparations are in full swing.

5. PUBLIC COMMENT
5.1. For Public Comments, please see Bylaw on Meeting Conduct
None.

6 *CONSENT AGENDA /
61. *Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes of April 8, 2025
Motion by: C.Rivers
Motion to approve Consent Agenda items 6.1-6.7
Second: M.Gignac
Roll Calf: All in favor
Vote: Motion carried

6.2. *Approval of Special Meeting Minutes of April 10, 2025

See 6.1

6.3.  *Approval of Special Meeting Minutes of April 21, 2025
See 6.1

6.4. ‘Approval of Special Meeting Minutes of April 29, 2025
See 6.1

6.5. *Approval of Friends of Football Donation to BA
See 6.1

6.6. *Approval of BA Girls Lacrosse Fundraising Event
See 6.1

6.7. *Approval of BA Boys Lacrosse Fundraising Events
See 6.1

7. REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES
7.1. Budget Finance Committee
C.Rivers went over the monthly budget reports and the transfers over and under $5000

Motion by: M.Gignac
Motion to approve transfers over $5000


7.2.

73.

7.4.

Second: M.Millington
Roll Call: All in favor
Vote: Motion carried

Curriculum Committee

D.Antonacci reported that the last meeting for this school year was held earlier today
to discuss the ELA Programs at WJ. The next meeting will be in Fall 2025.

Facilities Committee
C.Rivers stated there was nothing to report.

Policy Committee
D.Antonacci stated they are in between meetings.

POLICY FIRST READ

8.1.

8.2.

8.3.

4116.34 Reports of Suspected Abuse or Neglect of Adults with an Intellectual Disability
or Autism Spectrum Disorder

Agenda Items 8.1-8.3 will go to second read at the next regular Board of Education
Meeting.

4252.6 Family Medical Leave Act Policy

See 8.1

5131.911 Bullying Prevention and Intervention

See 8.1

POLICY SECOND READ

9.1.

1120 Public Comment & Correspondence at Board Meetings
Motion by: M.Millington
Motion to approve edits to Policy 1120 Public Comment & Correspondence at Board

Meetings

9.2.

9.3.

9.4.

95.

9.6.

Second: M.Gignac
Roll Call: All in favor
Vote: Motion carried

4111.1 Affirmative Action : Recruitment and Selection
Motion by: C.Rivers

Motion to approve edits to Policies in Agenda Items 9.2-9.13
Second: S.Tracey-Calash

Roll Call: All in favor

Vote: Motion carried

4111.2 Vacancies

See 9.2

4111.3 Minority Recruitment Plan

See 9.2

4112 Appointment and Conditions of Employment
See 9.2

4112.5 Employment Checks

See 9.2

 


 

9.7. 4117.1 Retirement

See 9.2
9.8. 4117.31 Return fo Work Program
See 9.2
9.9. 4118.11 Non-Discrimination Policy
See 9.2
9.10. 4118.14 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disabilities
See 9.2
9.11. 4131 Professional Growth and Development : Appendix
See 9.2
9.12. 4212.42 Drug and Alcohol Testing for School Bus Drivers
See 9.2
9.13. 4218.3 Duties
See 9.2

10. REPORT FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
Motion by: C.Rivers
Motion to add New Website Update to section 10
Second: S.Tracey-Calash
Roll Call: All in favor
Vote: Motion carried

10.1. Staff Appreciation
Last week was Staff Appreciation Week. Administration and the PTO went out of their way to
recognize the contributions of all staff members. The district provided lunch, and families were
notified via email to highlight the significance of the week and encourage their participation.

10.2. District Childcare
Superintendent Sullivan stated that last week, he attended a meeting at EASTCONN focused
on addressing the “childcare desert” in this region of Connecticut. The program at CES was
highlighted in connection with Little People’s Play Place, Too and was presented as a potential model
for what other employers can implement. Approximately 25 students have already signed up for the
program for next year.

10.3. District Accreditation
Over the past few months, a representative from NEASC has met with the administrative
team. While the high school has been accredited for several years, this initiative would extend
accreditation to the entire district. The process includes a self-study and a series of visits to evaluate
the effectiveness of the schools. The Superintendent asked the Board’s opinion on this and it was
determined that we will invite a NEASC representative to the June meeting to present further details.

10.4. Food Services RFP
R.Linkkila and A.Barillari have been working to partner with the state on a RFP for food
services. They plan to provide an update in June, with the goal of releasing the RFP and receiving
proposals in July, in order to have more information available for the August meeting.

10.5. SoundFields Update
A.Barillari and Superintendent Sullivan have been working with an audio consultant and hope
to finalize plans this week. The goal is to order equipment soon and schedule installation during the

4


summer and school vacations in the 2025-2026 school year.

10.6. BA Exam Bus
Final exams are scheduled for June 9-11. During this period, an exam bus schedule could be
implemented, offering an alternative pickup time at 11:05 AM instead of waiting for the WJ buses in
the afternoon. Bus 1 would stop at Town Hall, Homestead, 392 Main, and the RecPlex. Bus 2 would
stop at Cragin Library and Westchester. Market. There is also the capability to run an additional route
if needed. Principal Begué will be sending a letter to families requesting that they indicate which bus
their student will need and on which days.

10.7. New Website Update

B.Johnson provided an update on the new website, which is designed to be welcoming to
families and the community while presenting information in a clear, easily digestible format. The site
will pull content directly from ParentSquare and will bring the district into compliance with ADA
requirements. More details will be shared in June. A communication will be sent to the learning
community and staff in the coming weeks. The hard launch is scheduled for June 1, with server
migration occurring in mid-June. There will be a four-week overlap during which both the old and
new sites will be accessible.

11. *PRIORITY DISCUSSION / ACTION ITEMS
11.1. *Appointment of WJJMS Principal

Motion by: M.Gignac

Motion to appoint Meghan Amado as the new WJ Principal effective August 18, 2025.
Second: STracey-Calash

Roll Call: All in favor

Vote: Motion carried

Congratulations to Meghan Amado. Amado will be the Interim Assistant Principal at WJ
from July 1, 2025 to August 15, 2025 then begin as the Principal of WJ on August 18, 2025.

11.2. Youth Services Survey Data Presentation & Discussion

Marquis Lawson and Youth Action Council Member/BA Junior Alan Quinone presented the
data from the Youth Services Survey given in the Fall of 2024. An important note that M.Lawson
made was that the survey used skip logic with responses, so if a student answered that they did not
have any experiences with drugs or alcohol, the survey would not present any further questions on
that topic. The presentation went over the responses to various sections of content, including
gaming, social media, anxiety, emotional health, substance use, gambling, parental/peer
interactions, risk/harm and stress.

12. REPORT FROM SCHOOL LIAISONS

12.1. CES

S.Tracey-Calash stated that there were beautiful Mother’s Day gifts that went home from the
classrooms. She also stated that there are fun things ahead on the schedule including Field Trips and
Fun Day!

12.2. JJIS
Nothing to report.

12.3. WJJMS

 


C.Rivers stated that WJ has a new Principal and will be looking for a new Assistant Principal.

12.4. BA
D.Antonacci stated that Awards Nights are coming up.

13. BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS / INFORMATION ITEMS
13.1. Items of Correspondence
i It was noted that there was a change to the calendar for the 2025-2026 school year. The half
day was changed from after Memorial Day to before. The corrected schedule is on the website.

13.2. Next Meeting
| June 10, 2025

14. “PROPOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION

14.1. *Discussion and Possible Action on the Superintendent's Annual Evaluation and
Contract
Motion by: M.Gignac
Motion to move into Executive Session and invite Superintendent Sullivan.
Second: C.Rivers
Roll Call: All in favor
Vote: Motion carried

 

The Board moved into executive session at 6:40 PM
M.Gignac and R.Gignac arrived in person at 6:40 PM
The Board returned from executive session at 6:52 PM

Motion by: C.Rivers

Motion to extend Superintendent Sullivan’s contract by one year.
Second: R.Gignac

Roll Call: All in favor

Vote: Motion carried

15. ADJOURNMENT
Motion by: M.Gignac
Motion to adjourn.
Second: M.Millington
Roll Calf: All in favor
Vote: Motion carried

 

Respectfully submitted,

nation

Alyssa Fratoni
Executive Assistant to the Superintendent

| C.Rivers adjourned the meeting at 6:53 PM
|
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