At the Thursday, October 6, New Fairfield Board of Education (BOE) meeting, school officials and board members stayed positive about the elementary school’s final construction hurdles and traffic procedures, despite some negative community feedback. Director of Business and Operations Ms. Carrie DuPuy pointed out that recent dismissal gridlock has eased on the campus. Acknowledging continuing punch list items and lamenting the delayed playground, which is now targeted to be installed by Thanksgiving, the BOE is optimistic all will come into order soon.

Returning to the pre-pandemic system in which parents need to park and retrieve elementary students has dramatically decreased traffic at the school. “It’s not perfect and we definitely are working to make it better,” DuPuy said. Regarding the public backlash again st continuing to use Middleton Road to route the buses, she said, “we haven’t had any kind of alternative plan that we’re able to really narrow down on.” DuPuy stressed that “there is little to no wait time on the buses. They are really just passing through right now.” In fact, DuPuy cited as few as a dozen cars at the traffic peak on Gillotti recently. During public comment, several residents pointed to those stats as reasons to stop using Middleton and bring all bus traffic back to Gillotti. There was also a parent who expressed frustration regarding the pick-up procedures, the new building fixes, the treatment of the campus as one school, and more.

New Fairfield High School Principal Mr. James D’A mico reported on the activities of the school’s Scheduling Committee, who are busily gathering data to research and recommend or not recommend a switch from block scheduling. This team includes teachers, instructional leaders, PTO representation, and students. D’Amico explained that the current bell schedule was established eleven years ago, with small tweaks made over the years to the six hour and fifteen-minute instructional period. “It’s a long-standing schedule at the school,” he said, so they are examining wh at is in place, how well it works, and how well it fits their priorities. Committee members interviewed other constituents, brainstormed ideas, and are delving deeply into schedule options. They have talked about the possibility of piloting alternate schedules and gathering feedback from students based on experiential learning, including whether a schedule change alters workload.

BOE Chair Mr. Dominic Cipollone once again expressed his reservations about block scheduling, saying the eighty-minute block can be “unproductive” with large gaps in what could be “bell-to-bell instruction.”

In subcommittee news, board members agreed to restart the School Start Time Committee, in hopes of completing a final inve stigation into marrying the start times of the middle and high school. As in the past, the committee will include a range of stakeholders, from administrators and faculty to students and parents. Athletic staff will also be represented.

The next regular New Fairfi eld Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 20, 7:00 p.m.

By Sarah Opdahl