Submitted by Jennifer Favalora, Vice Chair, RSD 17 Board of Education
(October 13, 2023) — The following is a summary of the Regional School District 17 Board of Education meeting for September, 2023:
Cougar Pride
HKHS Principal Donna Hayward and Athletic Director Lynn Flynt introduced and the Board recognized HKHS Baseball Coach Mark Brookes and his team, who won the state championship last Spring. Several 2023 graduates returned home to be at the meeting with their former coach.
Athletic Director Flint shared the following HKHS Athletic Achievements from the 2022/23 academic year:
- 2 Shoreline Championship teams: Girls Cross Country and Boys Lacrosse
- 2 State Championship teams: Girls Cross Country and Boys Baseball
- 1 All-American Gymnast
- 1 All-New England Athlete-track
- 12 All-State Athletes
- 2 SCC Boys Swimmers of the Year
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Jeff Wihbey provided an update on transportation and noted that STA was able to retain the order of the pickup and drop-off of Haddam Neck students (at their regular stops) regardless of bridge closures to keep the routes consistent. The completion of the bridge project is projected to be in early November.
Superintendent Wihbey reported the following Department and School updates:
- The High School is pleased to announce ten junior class members were awarded the National Rural and Small Town Award for their excellent performance on the PSAT.
- Through state funding, breakfast and lunch will be provided free of charge to all students who qualify for reduced lunch.
- A licensed social worker began at HKHS and HKIMS as part of the three-year state mental health grant.
- HKHS athletic fields are sodded and ready for the Fall season, the Cougar Café refrigerator has been replaced, and a new Kiln for the Art Department has been installed.
- RSD 17 will launch the Frontline online professional growth module for evaluation documents this year.
High School Graduation Presentation
HKHS Principal Donna Hayward presented the outcomes analysis for the Class of 2023 and noted trends for this year include a slight increase in the percentage of students choosing to continue their formal education after HKHS. The acceptance rate overall also increased, although there was a decrease in the percentage of applications sent to “Most Competitive” colleges compared to the Class of 2022. STEM-related fields and Business were the students’ leading intended majors, which is a shift from the historically more popular “health sciences.” Principal Hayward also noted that she is monitoring the number of students in each graduating class pursuing careers in education.
Master Plan
A great deal of work has been done to move forward with the Master Plan, including Board workshops and multiple opportunities for public input. Tecton representative Jeff Wyszynski presented at the third Community Conversation to a small but involved audience. The Boards of Education, Finance, and Selectmen met for a presentation and joint meeting on the various options for the Master Plan and had a productive discussion. The Board of Education will present a more specific plan to the town Boards at a joint meeting on November 2, 2023.
The RSD #17 Board of Education welcomes Haddam and Killingworth residents to stay up-to-date with District information by signing up for email updates. Monthly updates will include Board Meeting Summaries, Occasional Surveys, Information on Annual Budgets, and Referendums. Sign up at: https://www.rsd17.org/community/haddam-and-killingworth-alerts
Owner’s Representative RFP
The Board approved the Superintendent’s hiring of an Owner’s Representative to guide the District in the pre-referendum phase of the Master Plan process. The cost of this representative is not to exceed $35,000.
ON OUR WEBSITE:
The RSD 17 Master Plan Information is available on the website under the District Facilities menu option RSD 17 Facilities Study and Master Planning Website. Email masterplan@rsd17.org with any questions regarding RSD17’s Master Plan project.
