A report from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges raises some serious questions as to whether Derby schools receive enough financial support from the community.
The organization’s Commission on Public Secondary Schools released an 80-page report earlier this month that will help the organization decide whether Derby High School’s accreditation should continue.
The accreditation decision will probably be made sometime this month. High school principal Fran Thompson expects the school’s accreditation to continue, with conditions.
The report is to act as a blueprint, giving Derby a number of long-term recommendations to improve the school.
Thompson is scheduled to review the report, a copy of which is posted at the end of this article, at the March 17 Board of Education meeting.
School Superintendent Stephen Tracy is also expected to talk about the report Thursday (March 17).
The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. in the Derby Middle School cafeteria. Click here to download the meeting agenda.
Harsh Reality
While the report concentrates on Derby High School specifically, it makes several comments about school funding.
Perhaps the strongest statement appears on page 10, under the heading “Support of teaching and learning at Derby High School.”
“The school currently has an excellent team and many excellent teachers, but the continued battle of having to face no curriculum coordination, no certified librarians, not enough textbooks for all students, larger class sizes and an unresponsive Board of Education and a city governing body that turns a blind eye to its young people and their pressing needs may cause them to abandon this very high cause.”
An e‑mail seeking comment was sent Wednesday morning to Mayor Anthony Staffieri and Phil Robertson, the city’s chief administrative officer.
The report was compiled after a long assessment of Derby High School.
That included a self-assessment done by school officials, interviews with teachers, staff, students and parents, a review of applicable data, plus a multi-day visit to the school in September. The report was authored by 15 education professionals from all over New England.
Among the findings:
- The report states several times that the high school does not have enough textbooks. Teachers photocopy entire books to make sure students have the required text.
- The high school has faced “major budget and staff reductions, the elimination of the library media specialist and curriculum coordinator, a mostly dysfunctional technology system and sometimes little support from the board of education.”
- “There are concerns that all of this non-support has brought about an attitude that OK is alright for all students.”
- “The school district’s board of education and the city’s governing body have not insured an adequate or dependable source of revenue to provide and maintain appropriate school programs, personnel, facilities, equipment, technological support, materials or supplies.”
- “Derby students are performing alarmingly below the state averages on the Connecticut Achievement Performance Test (CAPT) with the percent of Derby students meeting the state goal in reading and math at almost half of the state average.”
- “The per pupil costs for the district ranks near the lowest 10 percent of the state (196 of 219).”
The report — specifically, its comments on education funding in the city — came up at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, where the school board unanimously voted to send a $19 million budget with a proposed 7.22 spending increase ($1.28 million) to the city’s Board of Apportionment and Taxation.
That school budget would increase taxes on a property assessed at $200,000 by roughly $300 a year, according to school officials.
School Board Chairman Ken Marcucio, Sr., school board member Christine Robinson and others on the school board were concerned the schools were asking for too much money from the city.
Kimberly Kreiger, a school board member, justified the spending by reading portions of the the NEASC into the record.
Tracy, the school superintendent, said the district has lost 27 positions in the last three years.
“The question isn’t why are we asking for so much — the question is what aren’t we getting some of this back?” Tracy said.
It’s Not All Bad
The report also highlights dozens of good things happening in Derby High School. Thompson will go over those Thursday, too.
After experiencing a revolving door of principals, the high school has finally stabilized with Thompson at the helm, the report points out.
The report recognizes Thompson’s efforts that have made the school safer. Thompson said anything positive in the report is a reflection of everyone at the high school, not just him.
“I’m very grateful that the committee recognized the change in the tone and tenor in the school, which is positive,” Thompson said. “The report reflects that there have been some real positive things going on, with a lot of work to be done — but that’s great. The report is a 10 year blueprint for what we need to do to make our school a better school.”
