Board of Education
of The Brooklyn School

Mr. Kenneth Swartz - Chairman
Mrs. Blair Mondor - Vice Chairman
Mrs. Mae Lyons - Secretary

Mrs. Christine Boyle
Ms. Deborah Cornman
Mrs. Valerie Downs

The Brooklyn School system provides a pre-kindergarten through grade eight program and is governed by a six member Board of Education. Tracing its origins back to the early days of the 20th century when the town had nine district schools, The Brooklyn School today is a centralized district, located on Gorman Road, and provides a comprehensive program to approximately 1,000 students. In addition, Brooklyn sends approximately 360 students to designated high schools, Killingly High School in Danielson and Woodstock Academy in Woodstock, and 10-15 to other high schools. Thirty to forty students each year attend the Harvard H. Ellis Technical School.
The Board of Education directs the operation of the school system through an active committee structure and, when appropriate, involves members of the school staff and community. The committees listed below give you an indication of the scope of the Board’s interest, concern and involvement in The Brooklyn School:

BOARD COMMITTEES:

Budget – During the budget preparation period from January through April, the entire board serves as the budget committee to prepare the school budget. All of the reports of committee activities and recommendations are presented to the entire membership of the Board for their review and action. The Board usually meets 4 -5 times between January and May to finalize the annual budget.

Curriculum – This committee addresses issues within the academic program; specifically the work of the staff on curriculum review and revision. The committee also prepares a list of priorities within the curricular areas for consideration by the Budget Committee. The committee
is composed of both staff and Board members and meets approximately three times a year.

Discipline Advisory - Reviewing and revising the Student Code of Conduct as well as addressing major disciplinary problems are the responsibilities of this committee. The committee, composed of both staff and Board members, meets as necessary.

Educational Planning – This committee explores the secondary educational needs of Brooklyn students and meets with representatives of Brooklyn’s designated high schools to maintain communication. This committee is also responsible for high school contract negotiations with Killingly and Woodstock Academy.

Facilities – The Facilities Committee reviews the needs of the buildings and grounds and prepares, with the help of the Property Services Director and the Superintendent, a priority listing of repairs for consideration by the Budget Committee. This committee usually meets 2-3 times a year.

Policy – This committee reviews proposed policies as recommended by the superintendent and/or required by statute. The committee meets as needed, approximately twice a year.

Public Relations – The Public Relations Committee proposes methods to improve communications with the community. The committee meets as needed.

Special Education - Reviewing the special education program and addressing program changes as requested by administrators and committee members is the responsibility of this committee. The committee meets approximately twice a year.

Staff Negotiations – The committee conducts negotiations with the BEA, Local 1303, as well as those employees not in bargaining units. This committee meets as needed. When bargaining unit contracts are in negotiations, the schedule of meetings is usually biweekly for a period of months.

Technology – The Technology Committee implements Brooklyn’s Long Range Technology Plan. The committee is composed of staff, Board and community members, and meets 2 times a year.

Transportation - Negotiating a school bus transportation contract and addressing major school bus problems, e.g. scheduling, discipline, are the tasks assigned to the Transportation Committee. The committee meets as needed.

LIAISON TO OTHER COMMITTEES:
The Capital Improvement Committee represents the needs of the school (major capital expenditures) on the Town’s Capital Improvement Committee. This Committee meets once or twice a year.

EASTCONN - The Board’s representative on the EastConn (the regional education center for this area) Board of Directors attends all EastConn meetings. Monthly meetings are scheduled.

Insurance - The Board’s representatives on this committee meet with town officials, staff representative and/or the school or town’s insurance representative, as needed, to review and discuss insurance programs and problems.

Board of Finance Liaison - The Board’s representative attends the Board of Finance meetings to provide the Board of Education with information appropriate to its needs.

Recreation - The Board’s representative serves as a participating member of the Recreation Commission and attends monthly meetings.

Woodstock Academy - This assignment requires considerably more time than most of the other committees require. The two representatives from the Brooklyn Board of Education serve as active members of the Woodstock Academy Board of Trustees and also serve on Woodstock Academy committees as assigned. Board meetings are once, or occasionally, twice a month.

Killingly High School – The Board’s representatives to the Killingly Board of Education attend Killingly Board meetings to maintain direct communication with members of the Killingly Board and to provide the Killingly Board of Education with information as appropriate.

School Readiness Liaison – the Board’s representative attends the School Readiness Council to provide information to members of the Board of Education.

School Safety Committee – the Board’s representative serves in a similar position to that listed directly above.

In other matters, the Board of Education actively monitors the financial management of the school system, reviews and acts on contract documents, reviews and awards bids, reviews and approves programs, listens to presentations on school programs and activities by staff and community members and participates in many discussions on a wide variety of matters brought to the Board’s attention.

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