District 4 Residents Elect Florio to School Committee Seat

After three months without a District Four representative, the School Committee is once again complete.

District 4 Residents Elect Florio to School Committee Seat

After three months without a District Four representative, the School Committee is once again complete.

  Despite a scarce turnout at the polls during Tuesday's Dist. 4 School Committee Special Election, 208 voters cast their ballot to fill the Committee seat made vacant by the unexpected passing of Vice-Chairperson Nancy Sprengelmeyer in March.  Once the four polling locations closed at 8 p.m., members of the Board of Canvassers announced that candidate David Florio came out the victor, earning 130 votes to opponent David Ritchotte's 78. There were no write-ins. The 208 ballots cast amounted to just 4.39 percent of the 4,742 registered voters in the district. Florio, a current member of Coventry's Planning Commission, explained Tuesday night that he will kick off his term by working towards the two goals he considers to be his first …

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District 4 School Committee Special Election Information

Check here for where and when to vote on June 4, 2013.

  Coventry's District 4 special election will be held Tuesday June 4, 2013, to fill the School Committee seat made vacant by the unexpected passing of Vice-Chairperson Nancy Sprengelmeyer in March. Every eligible voter in the district is urged to make their way to the polls to cast their vote. Below are the times and locations that voting opportunities will be available to registered voters as well as a link for those that are unsure of where to vote and information on each candidate. Polling Places Polling Times All polling locations will be open for voting from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting Information Website Find your personal voter information HERE. Candidate Q&As For more information, call the Coventry Board of Canvassers at 822-9150.

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Frank Bruno

6:27 pm on Wednesday, June 5, 2013

The point of nonpartisan elections is that the Republicans realized it was the only way for their people to get elected!!!   more ›

District 4 School Committee Special Election Information

Check here for where and when to vote on June 4, 2013.

School Committee Calls Off Early Learning Center Plans

Members changed their minds due to the uncertainty of future funding for the center.

School Committee Calls Off Early Learning Center Plans

Members changed their minds due to the uncertainty of future funding for the center.

  Members of the Coventry School Committee voted 3-1 Tuesday night in favor of not opening the vacant Oak Haven Elementary School as an early learning center next school year.  If utilized as proposed, the Oak Haven Early Learning Center, would have accommodated the majority of Coventry's Pre-K and Kindergarten students, with the exception of those from Western Coventry due to busing constraints. The main purpose for opening the Center was to create improved teaching environments in the form of additional instruction space as well as the ability to create computer labs in several schools, allowing the district to meet the ever-evolving state and federal technology standards and requirements. In 2009, the school was closed as a cost-saving …

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School Department to Embark on Alternative High School Program

School officials wish to fill a void that currently exists in regards to in-district education programs for at-risk and educationally-challenged students.

  For several years, Coventry school officials have been brainstorming ways to better serve local students who are considered at-risk, educationally disadvantaged or who have a history of underachievement in traditional school settings. As it stands today, many of these students are enrolled at out-of-district institutions which offer alternative programs to address their individual needs. Although the practice is generally successful for students and their families, it comes at a high cost to the Coventry school district, which is required to pay the out-of-district, or in some cases, out-of-state tuition, currently averaging about $40,000 annually per student. To address this concern, members of the school department have been actively …

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School Committee Rejects Resolutions Opposing Contract Continuation, Binding Arbitration

The opposed resolutions request that the General Assembly reject two pieces of school-related legislation currently being considered at the State House.

  At their most recent meeting, School Committee members rejected two resolutions, that if passed, would request that the General Assembly oppose any and all legislation currently being considered that is in favor of mandatory binding arbitration on monetary matters for school employees, as well as mandatory contract continuation of existing teacher collective bargaining agreements. "Mandatory binding arbitration would deprive locally elected officials the ability to control the biggest component of local budgets (payroll costs)," reads the resolution.  Committee members Kathy Patenaude and Ann Dickson voted in favor of the bill, Judi Liner voted against it, and Frank Hyde abstained, saying that he wanted to learn more about the proposed …

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