[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6382126,"mediaKeyId","2127565-c35008316d3b8e3ede68062e237864aa","parentId",2127565,"title","Kennedy High student reps report first-time sports, music and internship interest","audioSeconds",218,"startMs",1492000,"endMs",1710000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127565-c35008316d3b8e3ede68062e237864aa&start=1492&end=1710","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127565-c35008316d3b8e3ede68062e237864aa/thumbnail_1492000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6382126/Connecticut/Kennedy-High-student-reps-report-first-time-sports-music-and-internship-interest","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6382126-096bb99f61a73c4e9bb22bda488ca7f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197211&Signature=fnUT9RuGnbp03JU33VjXUfeBj-75CPIHtVvTLU09DAp3gWxLLpfz9mnMrgMNg~eoeynr5gd9UYlqf0yKAmQq19l5Wb0thZdKx-DO14zqunTOZChQ65Q7Yui9fjGFlKoUWiOszwTHoVVBFPKPFFu2exOTO3X5Wt3EdYYH-l7iTTZHTGtSOPGvXgDq~Q8Zijel4tnn23nEUoCAW1uBS9kcopyTkxxacH9v6sfRXBswl8ZFAcE3GGrPY0dLXALWK7fNCLvdXFiAjK-NE5iRn3xVzgBS5nuXv02u3ZCKNVECMqEWLiGM9xTX2FwwQE9Z8XhhAEIMfgb7LHwHCxiajXhivw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Waterbury School District","date","2025-01-18T01:03:45.623Z","article","Vidya Saggendorf and Jaden Acevedo, student representatives from Kennedy High School, reported to the Waterbury Board of Education on Jan. 16 about recent student achievements and asked the board to consider options to expand internship opportunities for students.

Vidya, the 12th-grade representative, said many seniors are finishing postsecondary applications and shared that Kennedy’s varsity football team qualified for the Class LL playoffs for the first time in school history. She also reported the marching band went to nationals — a first for the school — and the jazz band is preparing for a national competition in Philadelphia.

Jaden, the 11th-grade representative, described completed roof replacement and near-complete HVAC work at the school, upcoming performances of the winter musical The Addams Family (three showings Feb. 28–March 1), and a FAFSA completion breakfast for more than 60 seniors. He and Vidya also outlined community outreach projects, including trunk-or-treat, toy donations and food drives.

Both students raised a staffing and work-experience issue: they asked the board to explore after-school or evening internship opportunities to help students who have difficulty getting paid work because of age and limited daytime hours. “We’d like to explore the idea of after school or evening internships to help...struggling students earn work experience,” Jaden said.

Why it matters: Student reports highlight extracurricular achievements that contribute to school morale and college preparation, and the internship request flags a potential district-university or employer partnership need to broaden work-based learning for minors.

No formal action was taken at the meeting on internship proposals; the student request was recorded in the minutes for consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Waterbury Board of Education Meeting - January 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Student representatives from Kennedy High School updated the Waterbury Board of Education on recent school accomplishments — including first-time playoff appearances and historic band achievements — and suggested after-school or evening internships to increase student work experience.","taxTitle","Waterbury School District, School Districts, Connecticut","taxId",14343,"location","Connecticut","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6382131,"Interim superintendent highlights citywide funding needs, summer-program concerns and salad-bar pilot",0,1191000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127565-c35008316d3b8e3ede68062e237864aa&start=1191&end=1191","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127565-c35008316d3b8e3ede68062e237864aa/thumbnail_1191000.jpg","/articles/6382131/Connecticut/Interim-superintendent-highlights-citywide-funding-needs-summer-program-concerns-and-salad-bar-pilot","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6382131-577cdaf07d55033d03d1f2a37526c702/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197211&Signature=Xo9mo6w1VacsHgYSOpQ9KcqcCGaUylOBE6iu23pS6WyFmEjZbxFg~VmVgccsfDRE~vuUo1xl8QDbRgVfvOH~H-0A3Tm2CLwbtyQt4FqA5rbvAMEWmlKg7xeRAsLAYvr1mAPxhofQVeHDPWlH2U2nZxcycBmGI7Dsp2BhAfOzWgX62ptZzmp2b3ufr~SMnJbVgFK9~9l6NTDzbF-2rf1urZazvLTSd0YXRoFIdZAaOvCi2rCQajI35QGWenUC-dy8TCd9s-l4wF2mT8RFL-Nymk-oHKp3kN~9-~bmciZ1W-gjbDhYY4Lv86E8YjTRYbJjMwcq5azeg5j6BiDnORgXTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Interim Superintendent Dr. Swartz told the Waterbury Board of Education on Jan. 16 that he joined a press conference at the state capitol with mayors from Connecticut’s five largest cities to advocate for additional funding for high-need districts.

“At that press conference...those five cities account for 48% of all homeless students in the entire state of Connecticut,” Dr. Swartz said, adding that the five cities “service 83% of our students of high need.” He also said, “I believe close to 4 in every 10 multilingual learners in the state is in our city,” and he used the district’s turnaround-school work as an example of how additional funding can produce measurable gains.

Dr. Swartz warned that some pandemic-era funds such as ESSER are phasing out and that the district has already had to scale back programs paid for by one-time grants, including extended counseling, tutors and summer offerings. He said those reductions make future state funding more urgent if the district is to maintain expanded summer credit recovery and other enrichment programs.

On nutrition and school meals, Dr. Swartz reported the district piloted a salad bar at Gilmartin School in December and will expand the program: “Starting Tuesday, we are going to be opening it up and go big time at Kennedy, and Tri North End is actually gonna start on Thursday,” he said. He cited student survey data showing strong participation at Gilmartin — “on December 17th, we had over 90 students in the upper grades at Gilmartin take a salad that day” — and credited the School Health and Wellness Advisory Committee and partners including district staff and the local health department for the pilot.

Why it matters: Funding dynamics and the phase-out of federal pandemic-era dollars shape which programs the district can sustain. The salad-bar expansion is a near-term program change that may affect student meal choices and participation.

Dr. Swartz closed by noting two of the district’s three turnaround schools have exited that status and a third has made a year of growth and needs one more year to reach the district’s stated goal.","Interim Superintendent Dr. Swartz told the board Jan. 16 that a press conference with mayors of Connecticut’s five largest cities emphasized funding shortfalls; he also reported a salad-bar pilot at Gilmartin that will expand to other schools.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6382135,"Board approves roof, maintenance and program contracts; several consent items pass by voice vote",204,1822000,2026000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127565-c35008316d3b8e3ede68062e237864aa&start=1822&end=2026","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127565-c35008316d3b8e3ede68062e237864aa/thumbnail_1822000.jpg","/articles/6382135/Connecticut/Board-approves-roof-maintenance-and-program-contracts-several-consent-items-pass-by-voice-vote","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6382135-17949750f45187bb653dbb374bb08f87/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197212&Signature=MnMMldC7XpQnB6varWN50BSGiJU-Ejvm~Tyn63gtXW-BTqtdooq4fmETXEM4FHO9eLk-q3Pv8~VGHJ9e8x2Ois094R2xt5zypxZ9jt9ZLwokWoZFYglaTe5S2cGddLQen9u1EkHiyHdiQmOteqV1qJ4X5lOnXgtdyVXUPAo4TJjdaxBgD78oKTOaN19lg7GxHLwOsisK31Q6Q1KQSMULv0AHzcnwP3cDje6xk0Sey8RmrUgO1476OyhnXgyJ7qpP~2EDjZGoXn~KoR1VqFCEzNEGnEPxwUCyAPq1-5Hqqnx8T-y1jWXzeSuwSv4PC9UM331Lr6wIQdQuPLammZ8MSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Waterbury Board of Education approved a series of consent-calendar and agenda motions during its Jan. 16 meeting, voting by voice on several construction and service contracts, project planning steps and a state grant application.

Actions approved included preliminary design and the establishment of a building committee for a partial roof replacement at the Bergen Education Complex, a professional services agreement for math teacher coaching, amendments and new agreements for translation and inspection services, preventative maintenance services for the district’s building management system, a demolition contract for Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, and approval to apply for the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Chefs to Schools grant.

Several procedural motions were also adopted: the board voted to receive and place on file communications, to suspend the regular order of business for public addresses, to remove item 12.3 from the agenda, and to add item 14a (an executive session item) to the agenda. The board later convened an executive session for discussion concerning the appointment, employment, performance, evaluation, health, or dismissal of a public officer or employee.

Most approvals were made by voice vote with the motion summary recorded in the meeting minutes as “All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries.” No roll-call tallies were given in the transcript. Where the meeting recorded a mover or second, that information is noted in the actions list below.

Votes at a glance (selected items from meeting text):
- Approve consent calendar items 9.1–9.10 (design, roof planning, building committee, professional service agreements for math coaching, translation/video-on-demand services, environmental inspection services, historical society tours, ACES as fiduciary for the LEAP program, and facility use items) — motion approved by voice vote.
- Approve educational specifications for schematic design for partial roof replacement, Bergen Education Complex — motion approved by voice vote.
- Approve professional services agreement with Automatic Logic Contracting Services Inc. for preventative maintenance services to the building management system — motion approved by voice vote.
- Approve construction contract with NEWS LLC to demolish a portable addition at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School — motion approved by voice vote.
- Approve applying for Connecticut State Department of Education Chefs to Schools grant — motion approved by voice vote.

Why it matters: The approved items advance several capital-maintenance projects and service contracts that the district says support building safety, academic programming and food-service options for students. The board did not debate most items in detail during this meeting; several received brief clarifying remarks from commissioners or staff before votes.

The board’s minutes and staff will provide contract details, RFP numbers and funding sources as those files are finalized and posted.","The Waterbury Board of Education approved multiple consent and contract items Jan. 16, 2025, including roof project planning for Bergen Education Complex, preventive maintenance services, a demolition contract, and a grant application to the Connecticut Department of Education’s Chefs to Schools program.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6382140,"Greater Waterbury NAACP urges clearer, better-timed community input in superintendent search",231,637000,868000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127565-c35008316d3b8e3ede68062e237864aa&start=637&end=868","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127565-c35008316d3b8e3ede68062e237864aa/thumbnail_637000.jpg","/articles/6382140/Connecticut/Greater-Waterbury-NAACP-urges-clearer-better-timed-community-input-in-superintendent-search","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6382140-819df0cf0e2ff991389f1ab5e5fcbc75/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197212&Signature=d6uJ4-hx3P0Thq38qbl-P-Qjyyl3Ppn~FUhk3nNUZs8pmXMPHrHQvDBqLdnPcQBH46DMKyJb6HX9kg-eb1JNQoWms58SO1AYnFYhhb3rPEi64rQe0h6ecwzt3iaYi1lxjW58sYVj7lSLJKHQvS3RlBm8G4ESZp5ZnMxwIJLbW7rBhQJzvByp7wIpbP3RxvZdALw-4d7-a2WP7U-l0Jj9AtXXLK5Bhtud8cymgl5Sdl1WHIkymL29rNk1DVSvUmOHDYvwl2HXiuh~BWoUNys8V3nZPzh8VLqRNicGdHUYLN~b~5Sh9qkfVcvGuIpEY7X5oK~TQXugZ1a0mR9Fc-EvUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wendy Tyson Woods, president of the Greater Waterbury NAACP Branch, told the Waterbury Board of Education on Jan. 16 that the community expects more transparency and better-timed public input in the district’s superintendent search.

Woods said members of the NAACP attended two community input meetings and found them “ill timed and not very transparent,” and she asked the board to hold meetings at times that parents and families could attend. “When you feel like you’re not being heard, there is no other choice but to come to forums like this and put it on the record that we expect more,” she said.

The comment came during the board’s public comment period after the body voted to suspend the regular order of business to hear from the public. Woods thanked several commissioners and administrators who attended earlier community-input sessions and asked the board to consider alternatives such as weekend meetings so “parents and the children can come” and be heard.

Board members did not provide an on-the-spot response to Woods’ remarks; the rules the board stated at the start of public comment specify that statements will be referred to administration and that there would be no responses that evening. The board’s motion to suspend the regular order of business and allow public addresses was approved by voice vote before Woods began.

Why it matters: The superintendent post shapes district leadership and priorities; community members and advocacy groups told the board they want inclusive, well-publicized opportunities to comment on the search and selection process.

The board did not announce any immediate changes to the search schedule at the meeting. Woods concluded by inviting commissioners to NAACP meetings (held the third Saturday of each month at the Silas Bronson Library) and said the branch will continue to press for broader engagement.","At the Waterbury Board of Education meeting Jan. 16, 2025, Wendy Tyson Woods of the Greater Waterbury NAACP criticized the timing and transparency of the district's superintendent search and urged more accessible community meetings.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Kennedy High student reps report first-time sports, music and internship interest

Interim superintendent highlights citywide funding needs, summer-program concerns and salad-bar pilot

Board approves roof, maintenance and program contracts; several consent items pass by voice vote

Greater Waterbury NAACP urges clearer, better-timed community input in superintendent search