Menu

Torrington School District special meeting, Sep 23, 2026

3 h 13 min · 3 public speakers

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 3 h 13 min.

  1. Who spoke · first speaks at
What happened

What happened at this meeting

Torrington school board adopts facility use policy 1:46:36

  • Jeffrey Putnam announced that a motion passed to send the districtwide elevator preventative maintenance bid to the full board, with a request that an addendum be added for a reduced service level. 25:02
  • The board adopted the facility use policy and approved budget transfers. 1:50:13
  • At the regular meeting, Edward Corey said the Board of Finance did not approve $500,000 for the roof and $200,000 for the elevator, leaving the board $800,000 short of its estimate. 1:59:55
  • A district staff member said the district would not be obligated to accept a bidder if the roof project went out to bid. 2:00:32

Until Nov 4, lines where a board member takes a side don't name the member. Why →

Item by item (15)
  1. Subcommittee review of roof bid package 5:11
    • A staff member said the district was awarded the additional grant funding it sought for the TMS roof and redid parts of the bid because the price increased. 6:02
    • The staff member said the packet would go to the state for a final review after committee and board approval before going out to bid. 6:02
    • Jeffrey Putnam said the package was up to 495 pages or so. 7:31
    • Jeffrey Putnam announced that the motion to move the roof bid package to the full board passed. 7:43
  2. Subcommittee review of elevator maintenance bid 7:53
    • A staff member described a 3-year contract to have all district elevator preventive maintenance done by one contractor. 8:02
    • Jeffrey Putnam asked about the vendor's responsibility for obsolete parts in excess of $2,500 and whether a failed drive unit would be covered, and a staff member said clarification was needed. 9:04
    • In response to a question, a staff member said it was very safe to expect an increase in the budget line item based on the new contract. 13:31
    • Jeffrey Putnam announced that the motion passed to send the bid to the full board with a request for an addendum for a reduced service level that does not include all parts. 25:02
  3. Subcommittee review of snow removal bid 25:17
    • A staff member said the 3-year contract would set a base cost up to 60 inches of snow and up to 15 salt-only events, with per-inch pricing after that. 25:34
    • Jeffrey Putnam said the district would receive a 10% credit on regular snow events in a season with less than 42 inches. 30:00
    • Joseph Kulesza asked about the preseason site walkthrough, and a staff member said contractors would take pictures and note locations during the walkthrough. 32:01
    • Jeffrey Putnam announced that the motion to pass the snow removal bid as is to the full board passed. 37:11
  4. Opening and agenda 50:01
    • Edward Corey called the regular meeting to order at 6:01 PM. 50:01
    • Edward Corey asked to add item 8G11 on a confidential attorney-client communication about the forensic review of the Internal Service Fund, proposed for executive session. 51:25
    • Edward Corey announced that the amended agenda was adopted. 52:02
  5. Public comment 52:02
    • A speaker at public comment asked the district to offer whole fruit instead of juice at breakfast and raised the federally mandated wellness committee. 52:50
    • A speaker at public comment gave an update on parking lot safety concerns and said the city had added delineators along the white line so cars do not drive in the walking lane. 57:52
    • A speaker at public comment said educational videos were blocked and documents were hard to share on school devices, and Edward Corey said the board values student input. 59:57
  6. Recognitions and student representative report 1:01:14
    • High school staff recognized captains of fall sports teams. 1:01:57
    • An intermediate school staff member recognized student winners of a national poster contest and a pet parade. 1:04:50
    • Student representatives reported that the high school math lab is open every period and that the football team opened with a 21⁠-⁠0 win over Kennedy. 1:10:48
  7. Superintendent, human resources and special education reports 1:11:41
    • The superintendent said the superintendent attended the commissioner's welcome back event in Hartford. 1:12:31
    • A human resources staff member said the district has 10 paraeducator vacancies and suggested considering a referral incentive for employees. 1:15:39
    • Edward Corey asked for a rough cost estimate of an incentive at the next meeting and asked whether a drop in special education numbers was a beginning-of-year slump. 1:19:30
  8. Teaching and learning and food services reports 1:22:04
    • A staff member said the wellness committee would hold its first meeting on Thursday, October 1st. 1:24:31
    • Jeffrey Putnam said ParentSquare participation is historically in excess of 90% at this time of year. 1:27:52
    • Kristen Conway asked whether an English muffin with egg and cheese could replace high-sugar grain items, and the food services staff member said elementary breakfast is grab-and-go and time and temperature sensitive items cannot go back to classrooms. 1:31:37
  9. Monthly financials 1:35:20
    • A staff member said the financials through August 31st, 2026 showed $20 million in encumbrances and salary lines looking good. 1:35:53
    • Edward Corey asked whether the district was locked in on fuel oil, and a staff member said there is a reserve in the oil tanks. 1:37:23
    • Edward Corey announced that the monthly financials were approved. 1:38:30
  10. Committee reports and minutes 1:38:30
    • John Kissko said the School Improvement Committee will meet on the 7th of October and receive the comprehensive report on state test scores. 1:38:57
    • Kristen Conway said the policy committee held a roundtable discussion for about 3 hours. 1:40:42
    • Jeffrey Putnam reported that the technology department was catching up on a backlog of devices and that the budget committee reviewed budget transfers. 1:41:31
    • Edward Corey announced that the August 26th, 2026 regular meeting minutes and the subcommittee minutes were approved. 1:43:02
  11. Field trip and facility use policy 1:44:42
    • The board considered a journalism club trip to Columbia University, and Edward Corey held the vote open until 7:05. 1:44:42
    • Edward Corey said the policy changes covered the criteria for waiving or reducing fees and the per-hour fee schedule. 1:46:36
    • A staff member said a nonprofit using a facility on a Sunday would have to agree to pay the difference between overtime and double time. 1:48:06
    • Edward Corey announced that the facility use policy was adopted. 1:50:13
  12. Committee assignment, addendum and maintenance bids 1:51:34
    • Edward Corey announced that a change to the board's TEA negotiations committee assignment carried. 1:51:34
    • A staff member said the retrocommissioning addendum shifts money around at no additional cost to the district. 1:53:19
    • A staff member said the elevator plan is very close to the prior contract and asked to leave it as is, and one board member said they had no problem leaving it. 1:57:37
    • Edward Corey announced that the retrocommissioning addendum was adopted, the snow removal bid was approved and the elevator bid was adopted. 1:53:52
  13. Roof project bid and funding 1:58:43
    • Edward Corey said the Board of Finance approved everything except $500,000 for the roof and $200,000 for the elevator, leaving the board $800,000 short. 1:59:55
    • A staff member said the district is not obligated to accept a bidder and could get hard figures by putting the bid out. 2:00:32
    • Edward Corey said the project is 800 short, the city is 300 short and $500,000 has not been released. 2:03:20
  14. Alliance grant and budget transfers 2:08:27
    • A staff member said the Alliance grant was flat funded and basically the status quo. 2:08:56
    • Edward Corey asked about $3,277,702.89 for health and life insurance, and a staff member said the premium figure had been set lower than it should have been. 2:11:40
    • Edward Corey announced that the Alliance grant submission and the budget transfers were approved. 2:10:13
  15. Executive session and closing comments 2:16:31
    • The board entered executive session at 7:29. 2:17:32
    • One board member asked to place the parking situation on an agenda, and another board member said painting the line more distinctly would not stop cars from crossing it. 3:09:06
    • Edward Corey announced that a motion authorizing the board chair and the superintendent to confer with the board's legal counsel on the forensic audit was adopted. 3:07:57

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

Other meetings

Other meetings of this board

Video: posted by the district as “Torrington BoE Special Facilities & Technology Subcommittee and Board of Education Meeting”