In meetings held in July in August, actions taken by the North Branford Board of Education (BOE) included extending the Superintendent’s contract for three years, and discussion on work underway at the North Branford High School (NBHS) new building project.

New Contract for Superintendent

At a special meeting on July 21, the BOE went into executive session to discuss extending Schoonmaker’s contract.

According to unapproved meeting minutes posted at https://www.northbranfordschools.org , after reconvening following executive session, the BOE voted unanimously to extend Schoonmaker’s contract through June 30, 2025. The BOE also voted unanimously to approve a 3 percent wage increase for Schoonmaker for the 2022-23 school year.

According to a 2021 report by John Moritz of Hearst Connecticut Media, Schoonmaker’s salary for fiscal 2020-21 was $199,397.

At its Aug. 18, members of the BOE voted on two motions which members discussed as some of the “goals” set for Schoonmaker by the BOE.

One of the goals, supported by a vote of the BOE on Aug. 18, is to have Schoonmaker explore other options for the district’s food program. The request is exploratory, with no contractual changes under consideration at this time.

BOE vice chair Marcey Onofrio made a motion to amend the night’s agenda to include a motion on exploring the food program option. The BOE later voted to approve a motion “...to allow the Superintendent to pursue alternative options for the North Branford food service program, including but not limited to a private vendor, for cost analysis efficiency and food quality.”

Another goal for Schoonmaker discussed by the BOE at the Aug. 18 meeting is continuing to build on the district’s manufacturing initiative, which is something that Schoonmaker, the BOE and district have been working toward.

Schoonmaker said he had conversations with Gateway College and met with State Representative Vincent Candelora (R-86) in his research on the initiative and costs. He also shared he is beginning to explore costs for a stand-alone manufacturing educational training structure, potentially 10,000 square feet, to be constructed at the rear of the high school lot (currently an open grass area) to house the program.

Following the discussion, the BOE voted to approve a motion to allow the Superintendent to pursue an advanced manufacturing training workforce training initiative within the North Branford Public Schools to include curriculum, professional development, site development and other items necessary to facilitate the initiative; and to allow the Superintendent to create a strategic plan for budgetary considerations.

In response to a question from the BOE, Schoonmaker said evening classes, such as adult education offered to the community, as well as offering the program to high school students in surrounding towns, will allow for the manufacturing training program generate some revenue for the district.

North Branford High School Project Update

As North Branford goes back to school on Wednesday, August 31, work continues to complete the new high school project’s Phase 1 building.

Discussion on the project arose at the Aug.18 Board of Education (BOE) Aug. 18 meeting, which was taped by Totoket TV and can be viewed at its Facebook page.

Speaking with BOE Aug. 18, Schoonmaker said the NBHS building project is progressing as anticipated. A large part of the work undertaken in the summer months involved the “electrical piece” of the new building, he said.

“We have upwards of 300 people working on that building at one time,” said Schoonmaker.

BOE members working with the Permanent Project Building Committee (PPBC) reported the latest walk-through of the building this month showed sheet rock going up on walls, with some walls already painted in the school color, purple.

Once NBHS students and staff move in to the new building, the remainder of the current NBHS building will be demolished to allow for Phase 2 construction to begin, to complete the new school.

The BOE also discussed the closing of the school gym next year due to the demolition, with input provided by Schoonmaker as well as North Branford Public Schools’ head of maintenance, John Florio and NBHS principal Todd Stoeffler.

Schoonmaker said the district is going to “get creative” when it comes to relocating practices for boys and girls teams, likely to include use of gyms at North Branford Intermediate School (NBIS) and Totoket Valley Elementary School (TVES). CIAC home games will have to be played at other locations.

“We don't have meet CIAC standards for full court at NBIS, [and] TVES has no seating; so we have to go away to a sanctioned gym,” said Schoonmaker.

Stoeffler said outreach to discuss use of area school gyms for home games has begun.

Florio also answered questions from the BOE about setting up a maintenance program for the new NBHS building, as well as the training that will be involved in running its next-generation building systems.