Southington's New School Board Vows Bipartisanship

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Following a contentious election season where the GOP/Dem political rivalry was as bitterly divided locally as nationally, the local school board is hoping to move on.

Still, the Southington Board of Education's recently contentious election for its chairman and vice chairman among board members shows the partisan divide is still there, despite desires to work together.

Benefitting from the board's 5-4 Republican majority on the board of education, Colleen Clark was re-elected chairman by that same margin along political lines.

The same was true for the Southington Board of Education Vice Chairman Jasper Williams, who won his leadership seat with the same 5-4 partisan vote.

Republican Joseph Baczewski was the lone candidate for school board secretary and he was unanimously elected to the third tier of board of education leadership.

The party-line votes amid a divisive political climate were not lost on board members, especially the leaders, who said at the last school board meeting they would serve all.

"This is a very contested time for us," Clark said. "And I would like to see the dissension stop. I would like us all to work together.

"I promise to all of you that I will do my absolute very best to represent the board well," Clark said.

Williams echoed Clark's sentiments regarding partisanship.

"I look forward to working together, working across the aisle," Williams said after earning his spot. "I understand the concerns of bipartisanship. I think we all want to move together."

Baczewski said the board needed to work together, not as a group of political rivals, but "like a family," adding that's how he viewed his colleagues on the board.

The Southington Board of Education next meets Thursday, Dec. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the John Weichsel Municipal Center, 200 N. Main St., Southington.

For the minutes of the Nov. 9 Southington Board of Education meeting, click on this link.