At meeting about attorneys, talk of resignations

FALLS VILLAGE — The Region One Board of Education held its second special meeting of the month Friday, Aug. 20, to discuss a scheduling problem at Housatonic Valley Regional High School (HVRHS), as well as a request for proposals for a Board of Education attorney.

Region One Business Manager Sam Herrick provided a list of six legal firms which will be asked to submit a proposal for the job of board attorney. At the Aug. 16 meeting Herrick suggested it was time to do so, as part of standard procedure. The board’s attorney at present is Chinni and Meuser.

The resignations of HVRHS Principal Gretchen Foster and Assistant Principal Mary Ann  Buchanan earlier this month, though not on the agenda, came up during the public comment period and took up about 10 minutes of the 30-minute meeting.

Gale Toensing, the board’s representative from Falls Village, urged that whoever is hired for the interim principal and assistant principal jobs be from outside the district, and asked that the deadline for letters of interest be extended to Aug. 27.

And Mary O’Reilly, a Spanish teacher at the high school, reiterated her opinion from the special meeting of Aug. 16 that Board of Education Chairman (and Sharon representative) Judge Manning should resign.

Manning did not attend Friday’s special meeting. Cornwall representative Phil Hart chaired the meeting.

O’Reilly also said that the Region One Central Office (which includes the office of the regional superintendent) should not be involved in the daily operations of the high school.

Retired Housatonic Principal Jack Mahoney also spoke, sayinghe wanted to “clarify� his remarks of Aug. 16, when he said that having the Central Office in the same building as the high school “is a great disadvantage.�

“I was referring only to Central Office involvement in day-to-day operations at the high school. My observation was analytical in nature, not personal.

“The authority and integrity of the principal’s office must not be compromised.�

After the public comments, Region One Superintendent Patricia Chamberlain informed the board that the high school schedule — the creation of which is part of the evolving resignation story — is short one English class and outlined the options, including asking a teacher to take on the extra class or finding a long-term substitute.

Toensing moved that Chamberlain go ahead and try to plug the gap, but said she must bring a Memorandum of Understanding concerning compensation back to the board for review and approval. The motion passed 5-0.

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