Supporters of Former AD Chris Webster Express Frustration at North Branford Board of Ed Meeting [VIDEO]

The Aug. 18 Board of Education meeting was held in front of a packed house with many in the room there to speak about former Athletic Director Chris Webster. Though the majority of the was spent reviewing North Branford’s marked improvement in standardized testing, the meeting turned emotional in the end.

After going through the items on the agenda, visitors had the opportunity to speak with eight people standing up to comment. Two questioned items in Superintendent Scott Schoonmaker’s contract, while another expressed frustration with the board’s decisions in closed sessions.

The remaining five expressed their concerns over the and shared many positive remarks (see video). Before the comments, the BOE told those in attendance that they would be unable to comment or answer questions as the issue was a “personnel matter.” That didn’t stop questions from being raised, though.

“I’m concerned as a coach and a parent that we don’t have an athletic director in place with school starting in two weeks,” said Jackie DeFrancesco, a Northford resident who coaches field hockey at North Branford Intermediate School. “Is there someone that’s going to be able to do her job? Do they have the credentials to do her job? And how is this transition going to be beneficial to the kids of the town?”

While the board reiterated that it couldn’t discuss the matter, BOE member Shannon Miscio said, “Right now there is a plan in place, but it’s personnel and we can’t discuss it, though we do appreciate all of your comments.”

Former athlete Evaun Boatman wondered who young women could look to as role models with Webster leaving her post.

“[She was the] only woman of any authority at the high school–our principal’s a male, our vice principal’s a male, our superintendent’s a male. Where are the women that have any kind of power at the high school?” said Boatman. “Who are the girls supposed to look up to and say ‘I could be somebody who can control things’ because right now I don’t see it happening. I miss her already and I hope she stays.”

Karin Augur, another former NBHS athlete and mother of two boys entering NBHS in the coming years, was concerned with the manner in which Webster’s career was ended.

“I think she had a wonderful career and it’s unfortunate, albeit personnel and not privileged to the public, as to the reasons she was not renewed, but I will say that someone who was in that prestigious and professional career was ended in such a small-minded way and I hope you guys have very good reason for making your decisions,” Augur said. “I’d like to express my distaste in how it was handled and I feel like someone like that deserved better.”

Former athletes weren’t the only ones who shared concerns. Kaila DeFrancesco, who will be a junior at NBHS in just a few weeks. She played basketball for Webster among other sports but said she saw Webster’s dedication go beyond one sport.

“Even if it’s not her team, she’s very organized and she cares so much about her players,” said DeFrancesco. “She’s the most organized one. If your game gets rained out, Web has a game planned the next day; if there’s not a bus, there’ll be a bus there in 10 minutes if there was a misunderstanding.”

Michele Philipp, a “lifelong friend of Chris”, spoke last, expressing frustration with the board’s decision.

“I’m not from this town and I’m so glad because I’ve never seen a Board of Ed run like this,” Philipp said. “Shame on all of you.”