What's New For North Haven Schools This Year?

An increase in the cost of lunches and the introduction of a two-tiered bus schedule will greet North Haven public school students as they start the new school year on Aug. 29.

Meals

The 15 percent increase in the cafeteria and 3 percent a la carte increase results from a price increase from , according to Director of Finance and Operations Kristen Carling. 

The cost of a hot lunch will increase from $2.50 to $2.65 at the elementary level, and the cost of a middle school lunch will rise from $2.75 to $2.90. Hot meal prices at the high school will range from $2.90 to $3.65. 

This will be Carling’s first full academic year in the North Haven School district.  A certified public accountant previously with the accounting firm of McGladrey & Pullen, she joined the district on May 21.  In her position with McGladrey & Pullen, she told Patch she had “audited a lot of towns and school districts.”

Staffing

According to Joyce Lapre, who serves as administrative assistant to , no search is ongoing to replace , who died unexpectedly in late May. Rather, for budgetary reasons, the school will replace her position with that of a director of curriculum and instruction. That search, Lapre said, is still continuing.

And while the school is adding no paraprofessionals to the staff, Lapre said the two appointments to the ranks of teachers the approved this summer filled positions vacated by retirements.  The appointments include that of David Jacob to the position of science teacher and Daniel Hughes to the position of mathematics teacher, both at .

Any further appointments to the teaching ranks will be announced at the BOE meeting on Aug. 23.

Bus system

The change within the district this summer that caused some consternation among parents is the introduction of the two-tiered bus system.  The scheduling change recommended by the M & J Bus Company, which is headquartered in Old Saybrook, affects middle school and high school students.  According to a presentation at the July board meeting by Mike Collins, who serves as vice president of the bus company, half of the 12 towns the bus company works with now use the two-tiered system. 

The new system combines the high school and middle school bus routes, and moves the start time of the middle school to 7:33 a.m. from 8 a.m. The start time at the high school is also 7:33 a.m.

The school district expects to post its bus schedule for the 2012-2013 academic year on its Web site today, Aug. 1.