RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Ridgefield Board of Education discussed how to prioritize school building repairs and other capital projects Monday, Oct. 26, as it prepared for a series of budget meetings that will determine which projects are submitted to town officials for funding.
The board also reviewed proposed changes to kindergarten admission requirements and employee technology policies, considered the 2027-28 budget calendar and approved minutes from its Oct. 13 meeting.
No capital spending package was approved during the meeting.
Superintendent Susie Da Silva asked board members for guidance on how to organize and prioritize capital requests, including projects identified through a facilities condition assessment and other needs already included in the district's capital improvement planning.
Da Silva said the district's presentation should distinguish among existing capital projects, newly proposed work and repairs identified through the facilities assessment. Some projects may also fall within the operating budget rather than capital spending.
The discussion included how to evaluate requests at different funding levels and whether projects should be ranked according to urgency.
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Da Silva outlined a possible approach that would place life safety and building code compliance first, followed by essential building systems, with modernization projects receiving lower priority. She presented that approach as an option for board consideration, not an adopted ranking.
Board members also discussed the importance of understanding which projects had been deferred or reduced in previous budget cycles.
Member Martire called for clearer information about the consequences of different funding levels. He said the board should be able to explain what services or facilities improvements might be affected if spending falls below the level needed to maintain current operations.
Member Rice raised concerns about the possibility of school facilities needs being deferred repeatedly, particularly if proposed spending later fails to receive town approval.
The district is scheduled to review capital projects Nov. 9, participate in a joint meeting of the town's three boards Nov. 17 and receive a facilities planning presentation from MP Planning and Studio Jade on Nov. 23.
A special meeting is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 9, ahead of the board's planned Dec. 14 capital budget vote.
The board conducted a first reading of proposed revisions to Policy 5112, which governs kindergarten admission.
Board Secretary Moore explained that the changes would bring district policy into line with Connecticut's requirement that children turn 5 on or before Sept. 1 to enter kindergarten, beginning July 1, 2027.
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The proposed revision would eliminate outdated language describing the phased implementation of the state's kindergarten age requirements and the previous early-admission waiver process.
Da Silva said the waiver process had been challenging because it required administrators to make enrollment decisions about young children based on assessments at a particular point in their development.
Board members also asked how the district would handle children transferring from another state after already beginning kindergarten. Da Silva said the district would assess those students to determine appropriate placement.
The proposed policy will return for a second reading.
The board also reviewed a recommendation to repeal Policy 5110, concerning attendance and residency requirements.
Moore said the policy largely restates legal requirements already established by state law. Da Silva noted that other district policies and procedures address attendance and protections for students experiencing homelessness.
A separate proposal would replace the district's older policy governing employee cellular telephones with broader rules covering district-issued communication devices, computer systems and electronic communications.
Moore said the revisions reflect changes in technology since the existing policy was adopted in 2011.
The proposed language addresses district monitoring of electronic systems and states that employees should not expect personal privacy when using district computer systems or electronic devices.
Both proposals will return for second readings. The board did not adopt them Oct. 26.
Da Silva reviewed the district's proposed 2027-28 budget calendar, including a superintendent's operating budget presentation scheduled for Jan. 11, 2027, and a public budget hearing in early February.
Board members discussed the need to preserve enough time to examine the proposed budget before voting. The board also identified a weekday error in the draft calendar for the Jan. 11 presentation.
The budget calendar was presented for discussion, not a vote.
Da Silva reported that the district's strategic planning process was moving forward, with an initial design team having met twice in October and a steering committee meeting scheduled later in the week.
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Board members Marino and Callahan described the participation of school and community stakeholders in the initial planning sessions. Marino said board members would help coordinate community conversations known as Tiger Talks as part of the process.
The board also received official Oct. 1 enrollment figures, a business office update and a staffing report.
The meeting was held at the Board of Education conference room at 90 East Ridge Road.
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