BOE Welcomes Assistant Principal to Walsh Intermediate School

The welcomed Doug Cucchiarelli, presently a team leader in science at the Hillcrest Middle School in Trumbull, to the position of assistant principal at the l at its meeting Wednesday, as lauded the Northford resident’s “kid-centered approach to administration.”

“He really impressed us,” said the superintendent, who observed that Mr. Cucchiarelli was the unanimous choice for the position. 

The new assistant principal, who by contract begins his position July 1, received his bachelor’s degree from Fordham University and his master’s degree in environmental science education as well as his sixth year degree from Southern Connecticut State University.

Mr. Cucchiarelli termed Branford a “real, true New England community" and a town that, because he lives in Northford, he knows well.  He also joked about exchanging his current 45-minute commute to Trumbull for what he expects will be a far smoother, 15-minute commute to Branford.

On behalf of the BOE, Chairman Frank Carrano formally welcomed the new assistant principal.

In other business, the BOE unanimously approved the $50,632,604 budget, with Mr. Carrano noting that the provisions the budget includes preserves one world language teacher, includes one pre-kindergarten class for the John B. Sliney School and adds a technology coordinator and an instructional coach to the district staff.

The Board also extended the contract of Superintendent Hernandez by one year, bringing his tenure to a full three years by the year 2015.

In his remarks, the Superintendent discussed the progress the district is making on sound attenuation at the Walsh Intermediate School, where  has bedeviled students and many parents for years.  He said that the district was currently looking at schematics for the entire eighth grade wing, with a code compliance officer expected to visit the school next week.  Should the district receive a thumbs-up on the project, the superintendent said the district would seek funding from the Board of Finance over the summer.

“I’m comfortable that we’ll have the report next week,” the superintendent said.

Mr. Carrano added that a facilities committee would have a busy summer, reviewing not only the condition of the Walsh School but also options for moving the BOE offices to what had been the industrial arts section of the school. 

He said he is also pursuing the prospect of dedicating any surplus the school district gains to a fund for capital projects, a use of surplus funds that, up to one percent of a school district’s budget, the state has said a district may allocate for that use.

Although he BOE does not plan to meet in July, the superintendent noted that a special meeting might be called regarding developments in sound attenuation.  Mr. Carrano said that the Parents Advisory Committee would also work this summer on outreach, hoping to enlist members of the community as volunteers in the schools.