By Linda Conner Lambeck

WESTPORT — For Calum Madigan, serving as one of two student representatives to the Board of Education and as the Staples High School student body president was no sweat.

He does, however, feel a little guilty. Holding both roles denied another Staples upperclassman a unique leadership opportunity, said the graduating senior.

“I am definitely in support of not letting students be both student council presidents and Board of Education representatives,” Madigan said.

Going forward, that is how it will be.

The school board, at its meeting last week voted 7-0 to change its two-year-old student representative bylaw by stipulating that future student representatives cannot also hold the title of student council president.

It was one of several topics taken up by the board at its May 15 meeting. The board also accepted a gift, officially adopted its town-approved 2025-26 operating budget and got an update on the plan to redistrict up to 46 Long Lots Elementary School students.

Student reps’ role revised

A somewhat controversial plan when adopted, the decision to add two student voices — a high school senior and junior — has since been embraced by all members of the board.

“Just listening to them tonight reminds me of how good a decision that was,” said board Secretary Neil Phillips. “Because the input they offer, man, is it beneficial and helpful.”

Michele Carey-Moody, a Staples parent, told the board the student reps’ input has been absolutely outstanding.

The students apply for the role and are vetted by Staples Principal Stafford Thomas. The school board then interviews finalists and decides who to pick.

Last year, it was January before the two students were named. This year, Madigan stayed on as the senior representative and junior Souleye Kebe joined the panel in November.

The plan is for a new junior to be vetted this spring so he or she can join Kebe at the start of the 2025-26 school year.

The idea behind the non-voting roles is to give the board insight into student perspectives on decisions that affect them and as a mechanism to elevate student voice and engagement, which is part of the board’s strategic plan.

Often, the student reps comment and ask questions on topics being discussed by the board, be it the code of conduct, academic subjects or surveys the district wants to conduct. Recently, the student reps were successful in getting a planned revision of the Staples class schedule sent back to the drawing board.

Two years in, board member Kevin Christie, chair of the policy committee, said the bylaw will be revised in three ways: The board will no longer annually review the bylaw; it will exclude student council presidents from the role _ although both Madigan and Kebe would be exempt from the restriction, and a more formal feedback session on the yearly experience would be adopted.

Feedback from the student reps to the board would take place in public. Board feedback to the students may be conducted in executive session in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act to protect student privacy.

Going forward, an effort will reportedly be made to recruit from the entire student body, and broach the topic in sophomore “Connections” classes, since rising juniors will be eligible for the open spot in the fall.

Gift booked from Bedford PTA

In other action, the school board unanimously accepted a $16,000 gift from the Bedford Middle School PTA to purchase new library furniture.

The money was raised through a fundraiser, according to BMS PTA Co-Presidents Beatriz Jones and Lindsay Blass.

The hope is that the new furniture will transform the library space for years to come.

Budget formally adopted

The school board also voted 7-0 to adopt a final 2025-26 operating budget in the amount of $150,371,920, representing a 4.7 percent increase over the current budget. The budget, which takes effect for the new fiscal year starting July 1, is what the school board asked for and was the amount approved May 5 by the Representative Town Meeting.

“It was a highly successful budget season this year,” Elio Longo, the district’s chief financial officer, told the board.

The board also voted to request any current operating funds not spent this year roll over into a Carry Over account. The request goes to the Board of Finance.

Right now, it stands at about $800,000. With funds already in the account, the funds may go to extend the lease for the Long Lots modular classrooms by two years.

Redistricting update

The modular classrooms are needed as a new Long Lots Elementary School is built. Last fall, in preparation, the board voted to redistrict about 50 students from Long Lots to Saugatuck Elementary School starting this fall.

Since then, the transition process has involved calls to families affected by the change, an open house at Saugatuck, guided tours and family activities including a pizza dinner and bingo night, Supt. of Schools Thomas Scarice told the board.

There has also been meetings for staff involved in the redistricting. 

“The Saugatuck PTA has been tremendous,” Scarice said.

Keri Stedman, a parent with a child affected by redistricting, agreed. She told the board the Saugatuck PTA has reached out, been accepting and welcoming.

An assistant principal at Saugatuck has also taken time to learn about the redistricted students and make a difficult transition a little bit easier, she said.

Recently her 7-year-old started the “ABC” countdown until the end of the school year.

“It hit her hard,” Stedman said. When the countdown ends, she knows she is done with Long Lots.

“She knows she’s moving. She is OK with moving, all on board with moving, but she is going to need a little help,” Stedman said.

She urged the administration not to think of all families in the abstract.

“Some may be nervous, scared, excited. Engage us. Talk to us,” she said. “Make it as successful as can for these kids.”

Freelance writer Linda Conner Lambeck, a reporter for more than four decades at the Connecticut Post and other Hearst publications, is a member of the Education Writers Association.