Ridgefield Schools Report Enrollment Below Projections, Review 2027-28 Calendar

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Ridgefield's Board of Education reviewed a proposed 2027-28 school calendar and an enrollment report showing the district 58 students below projections during its Sept. 28 meeting, while also beginning consideration of repealing four student-related policies.

The board took no action on the calendar or policies, which were presented for first readings and are scheduled to return for votes at a future meeting. The only substantive vote of the meeting was a 9-0 approval of amended minutes from Sept. 14.

The meeting was held in the Board of Education conference room at 90 East Ridge Road.

See Also: Ridgefield School District Ranks Among CT's Top 5: Niche

Director of Personnel Karen Dewing presented the draft 2027-28 calendar, which calls for teachers to begin Aug. 25 and students in kindergarten through ninth grade to begin Aug. 31. Students in grades 10 through 12 would begin Sept. 1.

The tentative final day of school would be June 14, subject to weather-related changes. The calendar provides 181 student days and 187 teacher days.

Dewing said the district considered feedback from teachers when scheduling early-dismissal professional development days and sought to align the calendar with neighboring districts on breaks.

Board member Jonathan Paradiso asked about the February recess and whether it was common among Connecticut school districts. Superintendent Susie Da Silva said practices vary but Ridgefield added the break about seven years ago after the district saw student absences around Presidents Day weekend.

Board member Kathryn Graf asked about the August start date. Dewing said administrators try to balance new-teacher orientation, administrator preparation and professional development while avoiding pushing the district's preparations too far into early August.

See Also: Ridgefield Public Safety Committee Moves Ahead With Four Facility Concepts, New Response-Time Study

Assistant Superintendent Cory Gillette said keeping the first two weeks of August open provides more time to prepare schools. Da Silva added that summer programs can complicate the work of preparing buildings for the new school year.

The calendar is expected to return to the board for a second reading and vote.

Enrollment Below Projection

Dewing also reported that Ridgefield Public Schools had 4,288 students as of Sept. 9, 58 fewer than projected. She cautioned that the figure was preliminary because Oct. 1 enrollment will be used as the district's official count.

The packet shows 4,226 students enrolled in prekindergarten through grade 12, along with 21 students ages 18 to 22 and 41 outplaced students, bringing total enrollment to 4,288.

Enrollment varied by school. Ridgefield High School had 1,355 students, 54 fewer than projected, while Scotts Ridge Middle School had 575, six more than projected. Scotland Elementary School had 299 students, seven above projection. The district's prekindergarten enrollment of 66 was 34 below projection.

The board expects a fuller enrollment discussion after official numbers are submitted to the state.

Four Policies Could Be Repealed

The board also conducted first readings of four policies that its Policy Committee has recommended repealing: student safety, relations with noncustodial parents, student dismissal precautions and student insurance.

Board member Christine More said the recommendations grew out of a Shipman & Goodwin policy audit. She said the committee was advised that the four policies are not legally required.

Policy 5142, Student Safety, dates to December 2011 and addresses safe school environments, emergency procedures, first aid and other safety practices.

More said the committee concluded that student safety remains an inherent district responsibility but does not require that particular board policy. She said retaining policies that are unnecessary could require additional legal review.

The committee also recommended repealing Policy 5142.1, Relations with Non-custodial Parents. Da Silva said schools follow the applicable parenting or legal documents rather than attempting to independently define custodial relationships. More also pointed to a recently adopted policy governing confidentiality and access to educational records.

Policy 5142.2 covers student dismissal precautions. More described those procedures as operational matters handled at individual schools.

See Also: Aquarion PFAS Treatment Project To Begin In Ridgefield

The fourth policy, 5143.1, addresses optional student accident insurance and group accident coverage for athletics and other activities. Da Silva said the district still has secondary insurance that parents can choose to purchase, but the committee concluded a separate board policy was unnecessary.

All four recommendations are expected to return for second readings and votes. No votes to repeal the policies were taken Sept. 28.

Facilities Plan Moving Forward

Board member Scott Sigel reported that the Facilities and Operations Committee was scheduled to meet Sept. 29 to hear recommendations stemming from the district's facilities condition assessment.

Sigel said he hoped, with committee approval, to have the consultants present their assessment and recommendations to the full board. He said the work is intended to provide information as the board considers how to prioritize long-term capital investments.

The district's earlier facilities work examined options ranging from routine maintenance to construction of a new elementary school, according to background material included in the Sept. 28 packet.

The board also plans an Oct. 13 discussion of employee retention and exit interviews after Dewing presented staffing changes covering May 20 through Sept. 18. The packet lists new administrators, teachers and paraeducators as well as resignations and retirements during that period.

Chair Tina Malhotra said the board and Da Silva had mutually settled on a superintendent evaluation tool. She also thanked Da Silva for work related to the potential bus strike. Da Silva thanked district administrators and First Student drivers for their work on the issue.

Malhotra said the board also expects to discuss its governance calendar and other upcoming work and that the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education will review the board's bylaws.

No members of the public spoke during either public comment period. The board adjourned at 8:09 p.m. on a 9-0 vote.