RSD 13 Board To Consider Tennis Court Bid Waiver, Student Policies

DURHAM, CT — The Regional School District 13 Board of Education is scheduled Wednesday to consider waiving the competitive bidding process for repairs to the Coginchaug Regional High School tennis courts, approve two district policies and vote on several other measures.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. Nov. 11 in the library at Coginchaug Regional High School. The agenda also calls for votes on a proposed 2027 board and committee meeting schedule, community committee appointments and a Strong School field trip to Camp Jewell.

Subscribe

Superintendent Sydney Leggett said in her report prepared for the meeting that the district will ask the board to waive bidding requirements for the high school tennis court repair because only a few companies perform the work and the district has already obtained quotes. The district has also applied for a U.S. Tennis Association grant and expects to learn whether funding is available in about four to six weeks.

The board is also scheduled for a second reading and possible votes on policies governing its policy and regulation system and suicide prevention and intervention. Under the proposed policy-system rules, policy changes generally would receive a first reading for discussion and public input, followed by a second reading at a later meeting for a majority-vote decision.

The proposed suicide prevention policy requires employees who learn that a student has made a suicidal threat or attempt or exhibited suicidal ideation to immediately notify a building principal or designee. The district would also maintain administrative procedures for responding to students considered at risk and provide suicide-prevention training for staff and students.

Five other policies are scheduled for their first reading, covering health assessments and screenings, homeless children and youth, immunizations, student discipline and administration of medications.

The Policy Committee reviewed several of those proposals Oct. 21. Proposed health-rule changes include an annual athletics health assessment, beginning July 1, 2027, for students in grades 9 through 12 who participate in interscholastic sports. The district would have to provide the assessment without charge to eligible students whose families cannot afford it.

The health regulations would also permit annual vision screenings for preschoolers and second-graders and require an asthma action plan to accompany an assessment showing an asthma diagnosis.

The committee also reviewed proposed student-discipline revisions reflecting several years of legal changes. The proposal adds or revises provisions involving bullying, harassment, artificial or computer-generated images, off-campus conduct, suspensions and expulsions. Superintendent Leggett was directed to revise that draft before presenting it to the full board.

A proposed homeless children and youth policy would bar discrimination, segregation or stigmatization of students experiencing homelessness and establish procedures intended to comply with federal law. The accompanying regulations define eligible students broadly, including some children and youths sharing housing because of economic hardship or living in motels, shelters, cars or other temporary settings.

Leggett is also expected to update the board on development of the 2027-28 budget. Her report says district officials have begun reviewing spending requests under a zero-based budgeting approach after discussions with town finance committees emphasized keeping the budget as lean as possible. Staffing recommendations connected with consolidation into Three Oaks Memorial School are expected to come before the full board during budget workshops.

The agenda separately calls for an update on the Three Oaks Memorial School project. At an Oct. 21 Building Committee meeting, project representatives reported construction continuing on underground utilities, framing, steel erection and slab preparation. The committee was told the owner contingency balance stood at $489,000 and acknowledged that the remaining contingency was tight.

The board will also receive reports from several committees, including the School Naming Committee. That committee agreed in October to reopen suggestions for the new school's mascot, narrow the choices to three and conduct a student and staff vote. Members also discussed honoring Lyman, Brewster and Korn through names for common areas but wanted additional historical information before deciding how the names should be assigned.

The School District Climate Committee, another panel scheduled to report to the board, is developing separate climate surveys for students, families and staff. Its Oct. 28 discussion focused on measures including belonging, safety, workload, stress, bullying and whether students feel connected to trusted adults. Draft surveys are expected to return to the committee before being administered in the spring.

The board meeting will begin with a Coginchaug student presentation and recognition of a board member for 10 years of service. Public comment will be accepted at both the beginning and end of the meeting, with comments at the start limited to agenda items. Remote participation will also be available.