Proclamation, Cupcakes, and a Long Goodbye 🎓
The Farmington Board of Education opened its June 2 meeting with a standing‑room‑only salute to Superintendent Kathleen C. Greeter, whose 16‑year tenure officially concludes this month. Board Chair William “Bill” Beckert read a nine‑page proclamation that traced Greeter’s career—from Hartford classrooms to her 2020 nod as Connecticut Superintendent of the Year—and credited her for coaxing a $135 million high school from blueprint to reality. Greeter’s response was classic Greeter: gratitude, a nod to “student‑centered everything,” and a dash for the complimentary cupcakes.
“Farmington has had only three superintendents in 50 years,” Beckert reminded the crowd. “That stability isn’t luck—it’s leadership.”
Greeter will linger as interim until the board completes its still‑unfinished search for a successor.
Summer Learning, From Robotics to Radishes
Assistant Superintendent Veronica DeNoble outlined a quilt of summer offerings:
- Elementary academies in reading, math, and coding
- STEM camps featuring Lego robotics and the district‑wide STEM Expo
- Gardening Club, now 50 percent bigger and fully subsidized for 15 CREC Choice students
Continuing‑Ed Director Brenda Dolan boasted a record 14 GED graduates—up from a pre‑Greeter high of four—while Excel Program chief Brian Zerio highlighted $22,000 in tuition assistance and a new West Woods playground slated for July.
Bus Blues: Mariana Trench‑Deep 🚌
Business Administrator Dan Schrager and Transportation Coordinator Matt Ross conceded that year‑one performance by Specialty Transportation “bottomed out like the Mariana Trench.” Chronic driver shortages, late arrivals, and sporadic overcrowding drew blistering critiques from board members Erica Evans, Angela Martino, and James Sullivan.
- New Goals: aggressive driver recruitment, route testing before Labor Day, and real‑time parent alerts.
- Board ultimatum: “Zero excuses in September—lawyers next,” Sullivan warned.
Specialty recently lost a neighboring district contract, freeing up buses and drivers—optimism, Farmington‑style.
Lunch Money: Chartwells Re‑Ups, Fees Dip
The board renewed its food‑service contract with Chartwells:
- 0 % management‑fee increase (year three straight)
- 2.2 % administrative‑fee bump—below the 3.8 % CPI cap
- A guaranteed $36,368 return to bankroll cafeteria upgrades
Savings from lower fuel costs will help stock the new high‑school commons Greeter championed.
Title IX Tweaks and Policy Housekeeping
With a federal court pause on 2024 Title IX rules, Farmington’s lawyers advised minimal changes: updated appeals language, gender‑identity protections, and removal of Boston’s defunct OCR address. Votes were split—Angela Martino abstained on two clauses citing “step‑back concerns”—but policies passed.
Sponsor Break ☕
Need a safe spot for that cap‑and‑gown or the twenty binders of unfinished policy? Farmington Storage (155 Scott Swamp Road, 860‑777‑4001) has climate‑controlled units so pristine they’d make a museum jealous. Tell them Jack sent you—expect sarcasm, not discounts.
What’s Next
- June 10, 6 p.m.: Farmington High graduation (arrive by 5:15 if you’re wearing a sash, a robe, or both).
- June 11, 5 p.m.: Irving A. Robbins Middle School promotion.
- June 17, 6 p.m.: Special board meeting to ink Greeter’s interim addendum—because even legends need paperwork.
About the Author
Jack Beckett sips triple‑shot cold brew—extra ice, no apology—while sorting through 40‑page policy packets. Catch him at sunrise in the Farmington High parking lot, notebook in one hand, Einstein Bros. coffee in the other. ☕
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© 2025 The Farmington Mercury / Mercury Local
This article, “Farmington Schools Salute Superintendent Greeter, Tackle Bus Woes, and Launch Summer Programs,” by Jack Beckett is licensed under CC BY‑ND 4.0.
“Farmington Schools Salute Superintendent Greeter, Tackle Bus Woes, and Launch Summer Programs”
by Jack Beckett, The Farmington Mercury (CC BY‑ND 4.0)