Press Release

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.