FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Mayor’s Office
Monday November 9, 2009 (203) 468-3204
Outgoing Board of Education holds Special Meeting
East Haven, CT – The current Board of Education will hold its last meeting this evening at the East Haven High School beginning at 7 pm. Tonight’s Special Meeting, which could prove to be extremely contentious, includes the following agenda items that were tabled on October 27, 2009 when the members of the current BOE last met:
1. Discussion and Possible Action of Central Office Reorganization Plan
2. Discussion and Possible Action to Appoint Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
3. Discussion and Possible Action on Assistant Superintendent’s Contract
4. Discussion and Possible Action on Superintendent’s Contract
Although the Superintendent’s and Assistant Superintendent’s Contracts are extended through August 31, 2011 and June 30, 2011 respectively, there is an open issue pertaining to their annual pay increases.
Mayor April Capone Almon and the newly-elected BOE members will be waiting to see if the current BOE members approve a pay increase for Superintendent Anthony Serio and Assistant Superintendent Frank Meoli for the current 2009-2010 fiscal year. Earlier this year Mayor April Capone Almon announced that neither she nor her staff would be receiving an annual pay increase. During that same period the Mayor also negotiated pay freezes, or the equivalent in other concessions with each of the Town’s six unions. To date, none of the Town’s Board of Education union or non-union employees has done the same, including Mr. Serio and Mr. Meoli.
In addition to calling into question the possible pay raises, Mayor April Capone Almon and the newly-elected BOE members have also expressed a concern about moving forward and approving a proposed Central Office Reorganization Plan that includes the appointment of an additional Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction without their review and input. Several concerns have been raised regarding how the plan will affect the Board of Education’s current budget, as well as future budgets. These questions are not only being raised by the Mayor and the newly-elected BOE members, but were also asked by many of the current BOE members at its last meeting on October 27th.
“With all these unanswered questions still out there, the current Board of Education needs to table these agenda items until such time the newly-elected members of the Board of Education have an opportunity to review each one of them and provide their input.”, said Mayor April Capone Almon. “To do anything less would be disparaging to the residents who voted for a change on the Board of Education.”
The newly elected members of the Board of Education take office effective November 14, 2009.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Interesting email regarding East Haven's BOE
From: KAREN SELIGA
Subject: Special BOE Meeting 11/9/09
To: "Ron Denuzzo", "John Finkle" , "Frank Hammell" , "Tom Hennessey" , "Kristen Vineyard" , "Marilyn Vitale" , avarose25253131@sbcglobal.net
Cc: "Tony Serio"
Date: Monday, November 9, 2009, 1:43 PM
- please forward this message to those members of the BOE who do not have e-mail addresses listed -
I just became aware that the Board of Education meeting scheduled for Tuesday, November 10th has been cancelled and that there will be a “special” Board of Education meeting this evening.
On the agenda for this evening’s meeting is the discussion and possible action of the Central Office reorganization, discussion and possible action to appoint an Assistant Superintendent, discussion and possible action on Assistant Superintendent’s contract as well as discussion and possible action on the Superintendent’s contract. It is noted that some of these items are to be discussed in Executive Session.
I respectfully ask that each of you give all of these items serious consideration and ask that you table them until a later date.
I think making these decisions right now would be fiscally irresponsible. I don’t know how you are able to justify creating this position when there are still teachers and programs that were cut and have not yet been brought back. If there is money in the budget for this position – then use that money for the good of the students. Buy books; put programs back in place, etc... If memory serves me correctly, it was stated at the last meeting that the creation of the position of Assistant Superintendent would “lighten the load” for our current Superintendent. Times are tough, I would venture to guess that every person who is employed in the United States has been asked to do more with less; and I am one of those people. My suggestion to the Superintendent would be that if he can’t handle doing more with less, then maybe it’s time for him to move on.
It is clear that by cancelling tomorrow’s meeting and having tonight’s “special” meeting, that you do not want the public’s input. It also looks like you are all trying to pull a fast one and are trying to “stick it ” to the Town of East Haven and it’s taxpayers because some of you were not re-elected to the Board of Education. There are also numerous rumors around town that the person who is in line for this new position has a father who was very generous to John Finkle’s mayoral campaign and that is another reason why you are all rushing to get this done before the new Board takes it’s place.
Your legacy when your tenure on the Board of Education ends should be that you truly put the children of East Haven first and that you fought the good fight for them. If you approve the items on tonight’s agenda, your legacy will be that you never had the best interest of our children at heart, your interests were in only things that benefited you or your political party and that the only thing that you have accomplished is making fools of yourselves and the Town of East Haven.
Please think long and hard before rushing to make decisions that will ultimately have a negative impact on our children.
Stan & Karen Seliga
Subject: Special BOE Meeting 11/9/09
To: "Ron Denuzzo"
Cc: "Tony Serio"
Date: Monday, November 9, 2009, 1:43 PM
- please forward this message to those members of the BOE who do not have e-mail addresses listed -
I just became aware that the Board of Education meeting scheduled for Tuesday, November 10th has been cancelled and that there will be a “special” Board of Education meeting this evening.
On the agenda for this evening’s meeting is the discussion and possible action of the Central Office reorganization, discussion and possible action to appoint an Assistant Superintendent, discussion and possible action on Assistant Superintendent’s contract as well as discussion and possible action on the Superintendent’s contract. It is noted that some of these items are to be discussed in Executive Session.
I respectfully ask that each of you give all of these items serious consideration and ask that you table them until a later date.
I think making these decisions right now would be fiscally irresponsible. I don’t know how you are able to justify creating this position when there are still teachers and programs that were cut and have not yet been brought back. If there is money in the budget for this position – then use that money for the good of the students. Buy books; put programs back in place, etc... If memory serves me correctly, it was stated at the last meeting that the creation of the position of Assistant Superintendent would “lighten the load” for our current Superintendent. Times are tough, I would venture to guess that every person who is employed in the United States has been asked to do more with less; and I am one of those people. My suggestion to the Superintendent would be that if he can’t handle doing more with less, then maybe it’s time for him to move on.
It is clear that by cancelling tomorrow’s meeting and having tonight’s “special” meeting, that you do not want the public’s input. It also looks like you are all trying to pull a fast one and are trying to “stick it ” to the Town of East Haven and it’s taxpayers because some of you were not re-elected to the Board of Education. There are also numerous rumors around town that the person who is in line for this new position has a father who was very generous to John Finkle’s mayoral campaign and that is another reason why you are all rushing to get this done before the new Board takes it’s place.
Your legacy when your tenure on the Board of Education ends should be that you truly put the children of East Haven first and that you fought the good fight for them. If you approve the items on tonight’s agenda, your legacy will be that you never had the best interest of our children at heart, your interests were in only things that benefited you or your political party and that the only thing that you have accomplished is making fools of yourselves and the Town of East Haven.
Please think long and hard before rushing to make decisions that will ultimately have a negative impact on our children.
Stan & Karen Seliga
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