In accordance with the Town Charter, First Selectman Michael Freda opened the Board of Education meeting and called for the nominations of its three officers. Elected unanimously, with three of the nine members absent due to conflicting schedules, Sandra Cummings was chosen as chairwoman, Stephen DiCapua as vice chairman, and new member Bert Mozealous was elected secretary. It may have been a twist of fate for Mozealous, whose candidacy was in limbo until the previous evening when he was appointed by the Board of Selectmen to fill the position vacated by John Lambert, the over 24-year veteran who had been chairman nearly as long. The new secretary has 35 years experience as a physical education instructor in a nearby community. He told the audience, “I’m proud and happy to work with the Board of Education.”

After a routine and fast-paced meeting, a woman arrived with her two sons and quickly took a seat at the rear of the audience moments before a call for a scheduled executive session “for matters of personnel.” Asking to be allowed to speak under “Public Comments,” she identified herself as Terry Hannon, a mother whose son is a senior at North Haven High School. She began by inquiring whether or not there has been any air quality testing at the high school in regard to an “ongoing concern.” When Superintendent of Schools Sara Querfeld stated that the Quinnipiac Valley Health Department had investigated the sole complaint, the emotional speaker insisted that there had only been a “walk through.” She then accused the school administration and board of wasting taxpayers’ dollars by sending her child to another school, rather than dealing with the problem in the new building. As the superintendent said, “We can’t discuss specific cases in public” due to confidentiality issues, the boy rose and moved to join his mother at the microphone saying, “I have no problem with people knowing.”

The back and forth argument regarding the relative air quality at the school and its perceived negative effects on the boy continued for awhile, including a claim that the boy had to be taken from the school by ambulance, and the response that hers was the only complaint from an enrollment of 1,300 students. Stephen DiCapua, the new vice chair, indicated that “no one would intentionally jeopardize the safety” of children, to which Hannon retorted that the matter had been “pushed under the rug.” Her son then claimed to have been denied an education for months, but Assistant Superintendent Patricia Brozek pointed out that he had received special tutoring to which the family had agreed. In response, the parent described the alternative setting as one of little value, and criticized the decision to send her son to Branford High School in January, portraying it as a waste of money.

Board member Dr. James Hogan recommended that she take her complaint to the Connecticut Department of Pubic Health if she was dissatisfied with the ruling by the local health department. Newly elected chairwoman Sandra Cummings concurred adding, “If you’re not getting results, go higher.” Before the close of discussion, First Selectman Freda, who had remained in the audience for the meeting, said that he was willing to meet with all parties and help to mediate the matter, adding, “I’ll even take it to Connecticut Health if that offers a more tangible effort.”

In a follow up e-mail from the superintendent, she wrote, “I do want to go on the record by saying that the schools have contacted the Quinnipiac Valley Health Department and have reported the student in question's symptoms; and have had the health inspector inspect the high school both last spring and this fall. On each occasion the health department found absolutely nothing that would cause the student's symptoms.”

Querfeld continued, “We have always done whatever the health department recommends and have always been quick to call the health department anytime a concern or complaint was made. This willingness to work openly and promptly with the health officials, and our implementation of (a federal program called) Tools for Schools, led to North Haven (Public Schools) receiving the EPA award for indoor air quality in 2004. (We) trust that the health department would have told us if there was any sort of problem, or if there were steps the district needed to take, with regard to this young man's situation. I don't know what is causing the student to be unable to enter the school, but believe it has nothing to do with air quality.”

This week the district administration released the following general comments: “NHHS is a clean, well-maintained, newer building with an advanced air exchange and climate control system. We are deeply committed to the health, well being, and academic success of our students.

In addressing this student's issue, NHHS has invited Quinnipiac Valley Health District, our local health agency, to inspect and advise. Their inspections indicate exemplary environmental quality. The inspector's report of 9/22/09 states, ‘I did not observe any condition created by the building's indoor air environment that I would suspect of causing respiratory irritation…we recommend that testing not be done...’

While neither QVHD, the independent medical expert, nor the district can determine the trigger for the student's health issues, we continue to work on the student's behalf. The district has worked diligently to address the student's health and academic needs, providing multiple accommodations at district expense.”

Other Business

After the reorganization of the board at the start of the meeting, the formal seating was rearranged, as is this board’s tradition. The officers sit beside the schools’ chief while the remaining members sit in order of years of service.

Under “Finance and Operation,” it was noted that the committee should hear from the state within a couple of weeks regarding a serious cut in re-imbursement for excess costs of special education that could exceed $400,000. Next, it was noted that the $90,000 expense for the repair of the boilers at the high school was submitted to the building committee. A contract with a consultant will be signed within days regarding the evaluation of the condition of the boilers.

In her monthly report, the superintendent reported that the vaccinations against H1N1 had been completed for at-risk children, as well as children with parental permission. She gave special credit to the nursing staff. Noting that the process went smoothly, with the exception of a high school boy fainting, she said that the various events that had been postponed, such as the Homecoming Dance, would now be rescheduled and that the annual holiday concerts would be held in January.

Querfeld’s concluding item was the announcement of a flyer being sent out to the parents of middle and high school students from the North Haven Substance Abuse Prevention Council which describes the risks that the community faces in regard to the misuse of prescription drugs. The information will also be posted on the district’s web site.