By Avice Meehan

The Board of Education met Sept. 3 at Botelle Elementary School to review the most recent inspection by Fire Marshall Keith Byrne and receive an update on the first day of school. 

In his presentation, Byrne reported that results of the annual walk through were largely positive, noting that old outlets need to be replaced in several classrooms and that teachers need to be reminded about the proper use of power strips. 

One significant finding involved a door that could be accessed from outside the building; school officials are working to remedy the issue. Byrne also noted that the school has made good progress toward ensuring that all doors are self-closing. Fire prevention day will be held Oct. 18. 

“I feel very comfortable from where we were a few years ago,” said Byrne. “This is the most populous building in town, and it is up to par.” 

Lauren Valentino, the Botelle principal, reported that the first day of school went smoothly with pre-kindergarten students starting on Sept. 17. Botelle students were scheduled to participate in “River Day” on Sept. 18 at the Riverton Fairgrounds. The event, focused on the Farmington River, was started by Barkhamsted and included students from Hartland and Colebrook. 

In other business, the BOE addressed concerns from a parent about the level of detail in published school bus routes and agreed to take steps to share more limited information. The board also made committee assignments, determined next steps on collating data from the recent public survey and discussed plans for a board workshop planned for Dec. 3.