Contracts OK’d For 3 Top Schools Officials

The next schools superintendent already has key members of their executive team in place — even though the search has only just begun for a new district top administrator — now that the Board of Education has approved two-year contract renewals for New Haven Public Schools’ (NHPS) chief of operations, chief of staff and assistant superintendent for instructional leadership.

The school board members voted unanimously in support of those new contracts during their latest regular meeting Monday night, which was held online via Zoom.

The Board of Education approved new two-year contracts for NHPS Chief of Operations Thomas Lamb, Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Leadership/School Improvement Viviana Conner, and Chief of Staff Michael Finley. 

The three now-approved contracts will extend from July 1, 2023 until June 30, 2025. 

Lamb, who stepped into the role as COO in 2021, will see his salary increase from $145,000 to $160,000. Conner’s and Finley’s salaries will each be at $171,666.

These contract renewals come as the school board recently began its search for a new superintendent to replace Iline Tracey, who plans to retire in June. The job posting for superintendent is now up on the district’s website; the school board plans to host its first public meeting of the search process at Barack Obama School on Wednesday at 6:45 p.m..

Before taking their votes of approval, the school board members spent the first hour and a half of Monday’s meeting discussing the three contract renewals as well as pending litigation involving the district in a private executive session. 

“I think very highly of the three individuals that are up for contract renewal. And I also want to say I support the proposed salary increase for Mr. Lamb to bring him more inline with the industry standards,” said Mayor Justin Elicker, who is also a member of the Board of Education. 

Elicker then made a motion to amend the the superintendent’s recommended contracts for these three individual to one year rather than two years each.

Elicker explained, ​“I think that continuity is very important as we move towards a new superintendent, but I also think it’s important for the new superintendent to be able to choose his or her team, and so in my view a two-year contract is too long.”

The mayor’s motion was not seconded, and therefore did not receive a vote. 

Board members Abie Benitez, Yesenia Rivera, and Ed Joyner spoke in favor of having the two-year contracts that Tracey recommended for Lamb, Finley, and Conner.

“I just want all of you to brace for impact because you know it’s going to be a hard year. Our kids deserve that the teams work together,” Benitez said. 

“I believe that a good leader can make people better,” Joyner said. 

Board member Darnell Goldson added that he voted against Lamb’s appointment two years ago. ​“I will admit that he has proven me wrong so far,” he said. 

“I also would like to remind folks that that position [of chief operating officer] was not the easiest to fill and wasn’t the quickest to fill. And the last thing I want to have is the new superintendent dealing with contract negotiations while also trying to find a new COO who’s been underpaid compared to districts our size in the state,” Goldson added. 

Climate Proposals: School Composting, Bike Education

During the public comment portion of Monday’s meeting, several young students in the New Haven Climate Movement spoke up — about climate-resiliency projects they are working with Lamb on as well as others they hope to have implemented in the district in the future.

The student group members, including Wilbur Cross High School senior Young In Kim, advocated for the district’s Climate Emergency Resolution that was passed in September to challenge the public school system to reduce its carbon footprint. 

The student activists reminded the board to create plans to implement the resolution’s eight action points. Members of the movement who testified Monday included Kim, Amelia Lee, Lila Kleppner, Rosie Hampson, and Adrian Huq. 

The board agreed to report back on implementation plans at its April 24 meeting, Kim said. 

The student activists shared three-minute testimonies about their findings in recent months about ideas for how the district can develop plans for five of those climate-resolution action points. They also provided research-based proposals to improve the district’s transportation, energy efficiency, recycling, climate education, and food waste. 

Kim shared that the members are working with Lamb to write a grant for the district’s waste disposal programs. Other proposals presented by the students included school-based composting programs, a safe routes to school program for students to bike and walk to school, bike education programs in school, carpooling programs, free public bus fare programs, electric zero-emission buses, and investing in solar panels for school buildings. 

Magnet / Grant Supervisor Promoted

During Monday’s meeting the board also approved the administrative promotion of Michele Bonanno, who will move up from her current role as magnet school assistance coordinator and into the new role of supervisor of magnet and grant programs for the district. 

Bonanno’s starting salary for the new appointment is $159,788.

“This is significant. A lot of my staff is burdened. We have a lot of grants coming into New Haven [and] a lot of staff [are] burdened with a lot of grants they have to write and also have to manage,” Tracey said. 

Bonanno thanked the board and Tracey for the promotion Monday evening. She also thanked several mentors she’s worked with throughout her years of service. 

“It is my privilege to serve the community that I grew up in, graduated from, and with my husband am currently raising three small children in,” she said.