Branford Superintendent of Schools Hamlet Hernandez begins the school year with a unanimous vote of confidence from the Board of Education (BOE). On Aug. 15, the BOE voted unanimously to extend his contract by an additional year to June of 2021, with a 2.5 percent raise effective with the present academic year.

The vote was made during the first full board meeting of the 2018-19 academic year. The BOE discussed the superintendent's 2017-18 evaluation and contract in executive session. The meeting resumed with vice-chair John O'Connor making a motion extend the contract by one additional year to the 2021 school year and increase the salary by 2.5 percent effective with the present school year.

Thanking the BOE for its vote at the August 15 full board meeting, Hernandez said it was privilege to serve the district.

Based on the numbers, the annual salary for Branford's Superintendent of Schools is now at $200,072.

Hernandez joined the district as superintendent in 2010 with a three-year contract. To continue to provide a three-year contract, the BOE reviews the existing contract annually, and then puts the question of extending the contract by one year to a vote.

Last June, the BOE voted to extend Hernandez' contract through June of 2020 at the continued salary of $193,260. Then, in January 2018, by a majority vote of the BOE, Hernandez received a one percent raise effective February 2018. At that time, led by BOE chairman Michael Krause, the BOE approved the raise in part due to Hernandez' work leading the district's efforts to establish the town's $88.2 million Walsh Intermediate School (WIS) expansion/renovation project. The project, which is the town's single largest capital project, will have $30 million of its cost funded by the state. Hernandez has also held public outreach meetings on the project in the run-up to construction work, which kicked off this summer and is currently underway.

Following the unanimous Aug. 15 BOE vote on the superintendent's extended contract and salary increase, Krause thanked Hernandez for his efforts. Krause also noted the board will follow up with an evaluation summary on accolades and "...a couple of areas that we've talked about where we'd like some improvement."

"We have been very pleased with how the district is moving forward and pleased with the efforts you have made," Krause told Hernandez. "You've had to handle some difficult situations over the past year. You've handled them with poise and with respect, and with the kids always on your mind. We really appreciate all your effort."

"Difficult Situations"

Some of those "difficult situations" included Hernandez handing a major issue which unfolded in August of 2017, when a pre-construction hazardous building material survey of WIS detected polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The PCBs were found to be at exposure levels above federal guidelines for ages 6 – 12. The air-borne PCBs were detected in the main gym, locker rooms, pool area and auxiliary gym; forcing those areas to be closed. Hernandez put together parent and public meetings with experts to communicate the work underway to remove the PCB's. He also heard from frustrated parents who had concerns about sweaty kids returning to class from outdoor gym programs. The main gym and locker rooms were re-opened in late September 2017, followed by the pool and auxiliary gym, which was last to go back on-line in January 2018.

Another difficult situation arose in late 2017, when the district became the focus of a civil suit. The action, brought by the family of a former fifth grade student at WIS, contended bullying in 2016 by two teachers; and inaction by the school's top administrator, the BOE and Hernandez.

Next, following the Feb. 14, 2018 school shooting which killed 17 in Parkland, FL, the BOE and Hernandez heard from parents asking for bullying issues to be addressed as part of their calls for action to increase school safety. At several meetings, parents pressed for heightened and more transparent school safety procedures in the district. In executive session at the Aug. 15 BOE meeting, the BOE heard from School Security Consultant Joe Erardi on safety in Branford public schools.

Branford's 2017-18 school year also was visited by a visible and vocal campaign by 22 union members asking the BOE to save their jobs with the district's food service provider, Chartwells, during the district's competitive bidding process in the spring. In May 2018, Hernandez announced Chartwells had guaranteed a modest operating surplus to offset the district's financial assistance to the food service program; and the company would continue as the district's provider.

Another issue raised by concerned parents came up at the June 20 BOE meeting, when a group of five asked the BOE to better honor a 2015 policy providing for district staff training in transgender or other gender identity issues, and what it means to treat all people respectfully and equally. At that time, one of the parents gave examples of disparaging incidents occurring over the school year, some allegedly involving staff or administration.

At the August 15 BOE meeting, Policy Committee chair Ellen Michaels reported the committee had completed a review of the district's transgender policy and procedures; and had made a work plan for the committee to undertake in the new school year.

A Successful School Year

During the June 20, 2018 BOE meeting, Hernandez presented an overview of the past academic year. He noted the district moved ahead to exceed national statistics for growth in a collaborative learning environment. The school system's Strategic Success Plan completed its third year of adding coaches to the teacher/student classroom model. By "working as a team," results include a marked increase in student capacity for learning, said Hernandez.

Hernandez also discussed the Town of Branford's support of the district, as shown by approval and bonding of the WIS project as well as accepting the BOE's annual budget. He also noted the 2018-19 schools budget (which is $57,262,843) addresses all district contractual and strategic needs with an annual budget increase of less than two percent.

"We are able to continue to do what we've been doing with very modest budget," said Hernandez. "I think that ties back into that relationship with the town; that they know that we're not frivolous. They know when we ask for something, it's something that we are going to put into use."

School enrollment totaled 2,892 students at the end of the 2017-18 school year, with the district performing well despite demographics which are "significantly changing," said Hernandez.

In Branford, 34 percent of public school students are now eligible for free and reduced lunch (up from 18 percent in 2010); and over four percent of the population are English Language Learners. Both areas are indicators of higher educational needs. In addition, special education students make up 15 percent of the town's student body. By state standards, 39.2 percent of Branford students are now recognized as "high need," said Hernandez.

"The board should be incredibly proud that we are addressing the needs of all our students," said Hernandez.

Hernandez also noted that Pre-K classrooms in the 2018-19 school year will begin a shift to allow for more social interaction and play-based learning. The shift will support social and emotional development in the district's youngest students and could assist with mitigating future student behavioral issues.

When it comes to district discipline, Hernandez said some "refresher training" should be incorporated to bolster responsive classroom and restorative practices; but the "general trend is downward," based on in-school and out-of-school suspension counts.  There were 362 student suspensions last year; up 35 from the district's five-year low of 327 in 2016-17. Branford schools had 365 suspensions in 2015-16; 391 in 2014-15 and 457 in 2013-14.

Hernandez said the district is also grappling with student access to social media; even as it continues to increase technology use in learning. He said schools will continue to work to address the potential distractions created by students on their own devices. Meanwhile, the district has a "robust" connectivity network, allowing for electronic testing in the past year where students "...never experienced significant blips." He added the strong network is encouraging teachers to use more technology for classroom learning.

In other areas, Hernandez discussed the intent to develop more community outreach to champion the "...good things that we're doing as a school district" so that there would be a better, "fact-based understanding" of the work the district is undertaking.

"Often our school district may be perceived as going in one direction, when in fact it's actually going in a completely different direction; and it's important that we do not generalize," said Hernandez.

As one form of outreach, during the 2017-18 school year, the district began live-streaming BOE meetings on the school district's webpage, http://www.branford.k12.ct.us

Hernandez also reported results from the 2017-18 school climate survey validated there is a "decent climate" in the school district; but he said there's work to be done, and the survey will help build a road map to formulate a plan for the future.

"I believe that we've had a very successful year," said Hernandez, closing out his report at the June BOE meeting. "We've had some challenges, but if you think of those challenges [objectively and openly] ...is there any sort of commonality; can we see a through-line in this? I think we can. We can tie it back to the climate survey, to the social and emotional piece; to the school safety piece, as well as the social media. And we have some work to do in those areas; and I'm encouraged by that. I think that its work that's worth doing."