Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff, and Community Members:

I hope you and your family are well.

Health Updates:

We have made tremendous progress in our understanding of COVID -19, treatments, and vaccines. The tools and knowledge are assisting us in making progress towards shifting from a pandemic to an endemic. As was communicated in my last newsletter, the Executive Order’s are set to expire by February 15, 2021. It is my understanding that there will be public hearings at the Connecticut General Assembly next Tuesday (February 8th) regarding the current mask mandates. The Governor has been clear in the media that there will likely be announcements in the next few weeks regarding mask mandates in schools, including possible changes to the current policies/recommendations. We likely hear more information in the next week or so.

School Budget Update:

Last night, the Board of Education approved a 4.43% increase for the 2022-2023 school budget. This is a slight adjustment from my proposed budget due to two reasons (1) notification of increase in health insurance and (2) adjustment to transportation as result of recent bus contract bids. The full presentation and information can be viewed on our BEtv Channel. All budget information can be found on our District Dashboard, under the section financial dashboard.

The District and Board of Education want to make sure you are informed and have a chance to be involved in the budget process. The next meeting on the budget is Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 7:00 PM in the Municipal Center in the Senior Center where the Board of Education will present their proposed education budget to the Board of Finance and Board of Selectman.