North Branford Board of Ed in Hot Water

The North Branford Town Council is investigating whether or not the Board of Education has allowed the children of select teachers living outside of North Branford to be enrolled for free in the North Branford school system.

Council member Alfred Rose brought the issue to the council's attention.

"It's been brought to my attention that the superintendent of schools and possibly the Board of Education has put in a policy wheras, I think, only certain staff who do not live in town are able to bring their children to town and have them educated in town at no cost to them. A parent who does not live in town supposedly wanted to pursue doing the same thing, but we're told its just for certified staff. I need some clarification."

Rose continued, "From all the years I've been involved in town meetings, this is certainly not an executive item. The town would have to vote for this procedure change. I believe we have at least one student from out of town enrolled in school aleady. I don't know if this is gossip or rumors or whether or not we need to look into this. Personally, at almot $12,000 a student, I think its absurd that our BOE would let someone...I was on this council when the police department was chasing down people for stealing services."

Rose expressed his concern at whether or not the town could be sued for asking the alleged student to leave if there is in fact an out-of-town student being educated in North Branford for free. Could the town also be sued by other out-of-town teachers who work in the North Branford school system who were not offered the same opportunity for their children?

The BOE was under scrutiny by the council at the when it was discovered that the board was moving along with the school's building project without having officially voted on the project or having gotten the council's approval. The council lectured Superintendent Scott Schoonmaker and the BOE for not following protocol. 

Rose said members of the board admitted to having a discussion about the children of teachers who live outside of North Branford. Council member Rose Angeloni said she reviewed their approve and unapproved minutes and there was no mention of the issue, therefore, there was no vote. This potential major breach of protocol had many raised eyebrows on the council.

Town Council Attorney John Gesmonde gave his opinion. "The big question is 'Is this reality?' Everything he's [Rose] saying is in theory – timing couldn't be worse, we just got finished , this is another type of exemption if it is happening.

"If it's coming from the board without any negotiations, then it's undermining the teachers' union," Gesmonde continued. "If it appears to the teachers' union that all benefits are flowing from the board, then they might think, 'What's the point of having a union?'”

Rose concluded the discussion by saying the board will be invited to the September meeting to explain themselves.

"I don't know what we're going to have to send to the board to get a straight answer," said Rose. "That needs to be corrected and it needs to be coreected fast before we end up getting sued. We don't have that kind of money; apparently they have more money than they know what to do with. I think this policy doesn't follow the letter of the law."

"He's [Schoonmaker] still new at being a super so he can claim ignorance, but I'll tell you what, I'm getting sick of his ignorance," Rose added.