At the Oct. 25 Board of Education meeting, several residents expressed dissatisfaction with recent changes at the school, including the multigrade teaching model and perceived low test scores.  The board was asked again to respond to concerns about communication and the school’s administration addressed in exit surveys written by Botelle staff who left at the conclusion of the 2021-22 school year. 

During the meeting, a report by the school board’s Personnel and Negotiations Subcommittee indicated that, after consulting with the board’s attorney, Mark Sommaruga, and the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, that there was no role for the Botelle board to play in responding to any allegations. The subcommittee recommended that the full board meet with the administration in executive session to discuss the issues raised.

Board Chair Ann DeCerbo explained that the responsibility of the Board of Education is  to be available for hearings.  Since no grievance had been brought before the board, either by the former teachers or the teachers’ union, there was no action the board needed to take at this time. “We (the board) need to have a conversation with the administration to determine how things will work going forward,” said DeCerbo. “It’s something we need to discuss with them, so we can see how this has gone down and how things should look going forward.”