By Linda Conner Lambeck

WESTPORT–Graduation Day for the Class of 2027 will be Wednesday June 9 with a rain date of June 10.

The school board, meeting for the first time in the 2026-27 school year, on Thursday voted unanimously with five of seven members present, to establish the date, as has become its recent practice.

State law allows school districts to preset the date for graduation regardless of days missed because of the weather as long as it is on or after the district’s intended 180-day school calendar year.

There were no board comments.

The school year for students starts Tuesday, August 25.

The school board also used its first meeting to welcome Justin Jendrock, a Staples junior, as its new student representative. He joins Ankara Olasewere, a Staples senior. The pair are to offer student insights to the board on most discussion topics but do not have a vote and are not privy to board executive sessions.

Jendrock thanked the board for giving him the opportunity to serve and offer his perspective over the next two years.

Board Chair Lee Goldstein said she looked forward to hearing his robust opinions.

According to district officials, Jendrock is a member of the Service League of Boys (SLOBS), plays cross country and track for the Wreckers, and is a member of Student Council. He also worked on Ceci Maher’s state senate campaign team during the 2024 election cycle.

Jendrock’s LinkedIn page says he was a sectional leader for the Staples Jazz Ensemble and has been active for more than two years in Taekwondo. He was also a seasonal summer camp counselor.

On Thursday, the board also accepted gifts for 11 fall sport coaching stipends from sports booster clubs to supplement what is provided by the district. Nine of the stipends, totaling $35,274, are for football Two additional stipends totaling $4,081 pay for boys and girls soccer coaches.

Nearly 600 students play fall sports at Staples, not only football and soccer but cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, golf, girls swimming and diving, girl’s volleyball, and boy’s water polo.

The board also heard a report from Elio Longo, the district’s chief financial officer on 117 summer facilities projects that have occurred this summer including several at Staples High School.

Longo said work to install a panic button security system at Staples and renovation of the Staples auditorium are both nearing completion.

 On Monday, district staff will hold convocation in the renovated auditorium.

Linda Conner Lambeck

Linda Conner Lambeck covers education for Westport Journal. She was a reporter for more than four decades at the Connecticut Post and other Hearst publications. She has covered education throughout Fairfield and New Haven counties. She is a proud member of the Education Writers Association.