Cafeteria Overcrowding Aired at School Board Meeting

Lack of seating at the Nathan Hale-Ray High School cafeteria, forcing some students to sit in the hallways to eat lunch, was brought before the East Haddam Board of Education's meeting Jan. 11 by a concerned parent.

High school parent Terry Dickinson voiced her concern over the lunch room conditions during the public input session, citing health, safety and fire hazard concerns.

Dickinson told the Board she has called the principal at the school, the first selectman and fire marshal.

She requested the issue be addressed in a timely manner, saying "the problem is now; not next year."

The BOE meeting, held in the cafeteria, drew school administrators, student representatives, and a small handful of citizens.

The majority of the meeting focused on the school's accomplishments. Reports from the middle and high school student council representatives were made. The middle school rep detailed the Walkathon, rehearsals for "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown," the upcoming dance, and the mock trial at King Phillip Middle School in West Hartford.

Board member Everet Herden said he was "impressed with the hand-out from the middle school student representative" and would "like to see one from the high school [representative] as well."

The high school rep discussed the recent visit by the Australian basketball team, the senior fundraising projects for the charity, To Write Love on Her Arms, the basketball team's motivational Sound Pound group, and the fitting of seniors for caps and gowns.

First Selectman Mark Walter spoke of educational funding and concerns at the state and federal levels. Offering congratulations to the accomplishments of the district, Walters said 11 seniors have been accepted into colleges and universities, including one at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Walters announced Connecticut's Agricultural Teacher of the Year Award was given to faculty member Cheryl Mathewson and the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education Leadership Award to the East Haddam Board of Education.

Other agenda items included a presentation on the Capitol Region Education Council, the 2009-2010 audit report,  an update on the elementary school water project, and sub-committee reports. The 2011-2012 school year calendar was approved following a short discussion on holidays.

According to BOE Chairman Nancy Haslam, CREC is a "great professional program that can affect change in student achievement" on the Connecticut Mastery and Connecticut Academic Performance testing success rate.

The next meeting is Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in the high school cafeteria.