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COLCHESTER

PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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COLCHESTER BOARD OF EDUCATION Fes ais
Special Meeting 2 Sa
Thursday, April 10, 2025 = 3
7:30 AM pd
Board of Education Central Office

MINUTES

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

ADMINISTRATION PRESENT : Superintendent Daniel P. Sullivan, III, Assistant Superintendent Jessica L
Kuckel, Bacon Academy (BA) Principal Amy Begué, William J Johnston Middle School (WJJMS) Assistant
Principal Stacey Ewings.

OTHERS PRESENT : Director of Finance and Operations Rachel Linkkila, Instructional Technology
Coordinator Barbara Johnson, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Alyssa Fratoni, Director of
Educational Operations Andrew Barillari.

1. MEETING OPENING

1.1. Call to Order

Chair Antonacci called the meeting to order at 7:32 AM
1.2 Roll Call

M.Gignac, R.Gignac and D.Antonacci present in person.

C.Rivers, M.Millington and S.Tracey-Calash present via Zoom.
A.Oliphant not present.

PUBLIC COMMENT
21.

2.

For Public Comments, please see Bylaw on Meeting Conduct
e

Samuel Norman, Teachers Union President

o Reiterated his letter that was sent to the Board of Finance stating that taking away an
Administrator at BA would be disastrous.

e Stacy Ewings, WJJMS Assistant Principal

oO

Stated that increasing class sizes would be detrimental to classrooms. She stated that class
3.

sizes are already in the 18-22 range and it would not be good to increase it more.
*DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION
3.1.

*Possible Revisions to Board of Education Budget

BA Principal Begué expressed deep concern about the proposed cuts, emphasizing that the district’s
excellence stems from its robust programs and coursework, which are now at risk. She outlined the
extensive responsibilities already carried by Assistant Principals, with IEP/504 meetings, MTSS, and support
for students and families, warning that cuts would severely limit their ability to perform their duties.

C.Rivers stated that if they believed operations could continue with fewer resources, they wouldn’t
have made the initial budget request. He suggested asking the administration for a prioritized list of items
to cut.

M.Gignac voiced her disappointment, noting a repeated history and questioning the
misunderstanding of the detailed budget, stressing the snowball effect on secretarial workload.
Superintendent Sullivan reviewed the potential cuts and their impacts.

 

 


 

C.Rivers categorized the budget into three buckets: hiring at lower salaries and insurance
adjustments; administrative changes; and student-impacting cuts.

M.Gignac emphasized learning from past mistakes but left that judgment to the Board of Finance
and the public.

M.Millington echoed the frustration, reiterating that the current requests still fall short of meeting
students’ needs and risk compromising educational quality. The presentation included scenarios for $500k,
$750k, and $1.25M in cuts. i :

Concerns around cutting the middle school team model were raised, particularly by WI Teacher DJ
Kelly, Teachers Union Representative, who warned it would damage morale, limit teacher-student
relationships, andi increase class sizes close to contractual limits of 30 students. Reducing guidance staff at
WJ and BA would severely affect mental.health services for grades 6-12.

S.JTracey-Calash questioned if removing a team from 8th grade would create inconsistencies in
student experience and suggested considering a cut at 6th grade instead. She highlighted the critical role
teams and specialized teaching play in student success and IEP/504 support.

C.Rivers sought clarity on operational budget items, specifically around the maintainer and the
health reserve account. It was clarified that savings from the maintainer were hard to calculate and that
the health reserve was too weak to qualify for collaborative insurance, making it a potential area for cuts.

M.Millington strongly opposed the idea of 30-student classrooms, calling it unsustainable and a
threat to both student and staff mental health. She suggested reviewing 12-month positions, with
discussions around possibly shifting some clerical roles to 10-month terms and reducing central office
staffing in summer.

M.Millington left the meeting at 8:31 AM.

M.Gignac reiterated that staff reductions increase the burden on remaining employees.

D.Antonacci asked Principal Begué to speak to her building’s specific impacts. Principal Begué
explained that the social worker supports the most vulnerable students, and cuts would reduce services for
others. She also noted the ongoing Office Professional vacancy and the challenge of shifting that role to 10
months. Currently, an office professional is handling dual responsibilities, and the summer months are
critical for ordering and preparations.

It was asked that a prioritized list of budget cuts be compiled for review of the Board of Education so that a
decision can be made at the Special Meeting on April 21, 2025, prior to the Public Hearing.

4. ADJOURNMENT
Motion by: M.Gignac
Motion to adjourn.
Second: R.Gignac
Roll Call: All present in favor
Vote: Motion carried

Chair Antonacci adjourned the meeting at 8:45 AM

Respectfully submitted,

(fan,

Alyssa Fratoni
Executive Assistant to the Superintendent