Sally E. Bahner Photo
Call it the “feel good” meeting.
The Board of Education at its meeting Sept. 13 voted to rename the Branford High School Auditorium in honor of newly retired music director, Cathyann Rodding. The board also acknowledged John Prins’s Master Level designation for the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE), welcomed several new certified teachers to the district and set the salary for its superintendent.
Sally E. Bahner Photo
L-R: Prins, his wife Ruth, and son Adam.
At its last meeting, the board designated Prins to coordinate a committee to look into renaming the Branford High School Auditorium in honor of Cathyann Roding. Roding retired earlier this year as music and chorale director after serving for more than 30 years.
The board made it official and voted unanimously in favor of the designation and will set a date for a presentation to Roding.
Prins achieved the level of “Master” BOE Member in the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) Board Member Academy. He has served on the Branford Board of Education for 18 years. Prins was one of 10 board of education members from across the state recognized for his achievement. In order to achieve the CABE designation, he engaged in numerous hours of professional development activities for the 2016 – 2017 school years, including earning credits in areas of study related to public education. Prins also serves on the Board of Directors for CABE, according to the CABE website.
Sally E. Bahner Photo
The board also welcomed seven of the 17 new certified teachers to the district. Many come with substantial experience. They include Mary (June) Champagney, who will teach Business at BHS; Dana DeCerbo, pre‑k at Tisko; Rachel Hanchuruck, Music at Murphy; Tessa Malcarney, First Grade at Tisko; Paul Sarazin, Industrial Arts Education at BHS; Joseph Stein, Fourth Grade at Sliney; and Kristina Torre, Elementary Math Coach at Sliney.
Walsh School Update
Schools Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez said he met last week with Dianna Wentsell, commissioner of the State Department of Education and he remains optimistic about $33 million in state bonding for the Walsh Intermediate School renovation, despite discussion about a cap on overall bonding. He also said that new state standards are in effect for school construction, “most we’ve already adopted.”
Bridging on his report to the Public Building Commission earlier, Hernandez said work is progressing on alleviating the elevated PCBs (polychlorinated biphenals) in the pool and large gym areas at Walsh. HEPA vacuuming and wet wipes are being used by Langan Engineering and Environmental Services. According to “best practices,” neither the Environmental Protection Agency nor the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection have given a date for completion of the project. Hernandez said a report that day (Sept. 13) showed good numbers and more testing will be done this week.
The original findings showed elevated PCBs levels that could harm children 12 and under.
The board then went into executive session to discuss the superintendent’s contract and teacher contracts. According to chair Michael Krause, teacher negotiations are ongoing. Following the executive session, the board “voted in favor of accepting the financial terms of the Superintendent’s contract as discussed.” Hernandez’s current salary is $193,260, which will remain the same for 2017 – 2018. Krause said his annuity was increased and premium cost share will match the administrators at 16.5 percent.
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