At the June 10 Board of Education meeting, a new school principal was approved, a departing superintendent was thanked and donated defibrillators were welcomed. Public comment touched on baseball, public comment policy and a board member’s leaving.

Assistant Superintendent Patricia Brozek announced Mary Federico, currently an upper school housemaster in Bethany, as Montowese Elementary School’s new principal.

“We really think that Mary is going to be the perfect fit,” Brozek said.

The position had been posted in the district and advertised in The Hartford Courant and The New Haven Register, according to Brozek. Of the original 54 applicants, a review committee selected the top eight. Four candidates went through a second round of interviews. From the two finalists, Federico was recommended to the board, which voted for her official appointment.

Moving on to a North Branford position at the school year’s end, Superintendent Sara-Jane Querfeld received appreciation from board members.

“I think she is by far, in my opinion, the very best superintendent the North Haven schools have ever had,” said board member James Hogan. “She has done an excellent, excellent job.”

A round of applause followed Hogan’s comments, after which Brozek also praised the departing administrator.

“Sara Querfeld has been a remarkable asset to North Haven, as a language arts coordinator, as a principal, and as a superintendent,” she said. “From the onset, she’s had enormously positive impact on the district.”

“Sara deserves the sole credit for the significant improvement to CMT and CAPT scores,” Brozek continued. “Sara’s vision for curriculum and curriculum revision has transformed our district. Her expertise, leadership and commitment to improving instruction are second to none.”

Brozek lamented Querfeld’s departure and wished her well. “Obviously this is going to be a tremendous loss for the North Haven school district,” she said. “On behalf of the administrators, pupils, teachers and staff of the school district, thank you and best wishes.”

Querfeld was thankful for the kind comments.

“I just want to thank this board and the townspeople for what has been an amazing 13 years,” she said. “I have loved every minute of it, whether I was at the high school as k-12 language arts, reading, English coordinator, then social studies, or whether I was at Ridge Road as principal. And most certainly I have really enjoyed the challenges of being superintendent for the past seven years.”

“And, you know, just thank you,” Querfeld added through a widening smile.

Defibrillator donations

Querfeld said that local Rotarian Mark Lesage, who had previously orchestrated donations to purchase a defibrillator for Montowese, had secured funding to outfit the remaining North Haven elementary schools.

“We are just very grateful for the donations,” Querfeld said.

Lesage organized donations from Paul Mitchell Hair Salon of Washington Avenue, the Kids for Kids Foundation, and the North Haven Rotary Club. Donations will cover three defibrillator units, storage cabinets, and training for a small number of staff.

Baseball safety & public comment policy

During public comment, speaker Jim Napolitano expressed concern that although a foul-ball net was hung at the high school’s Bob E. DeMayo Baseball Field, baseballs were still landing in his contiguous Waterbury Road residence.

“I’d like to thank everybody for the time and the work to put up the net, but I wanted to let you know that it’s not sufficient,” Napolitano said. “From May 10 until today, we’ve had 45 balls land in our property. Of those 45, eight have hit our home. We’ve had damage to our landscape, lighting, air-conditioning unit, and storm door.”

“I was hit by a baseball in my yard on May 24,” he added. “Our greatest concern is for the safety of our two-and-a-half year old son, who we cannot let go out and play if there is a game or practice on the field.”

Napolitano had asked for a net last year, and one was put in place before the beginning of the current baseball season.

“I’m surprised that this field was designed, approved and built without considering the impact it would have on the properties adjacent,” he said. “I’m disappointed that the net in place is not sufficient to protect my house and my family, and I ask you to help me fix the situation.”

Speaker Jennifer Caldwell was confused by the board’s comment policy, implemented last February, which disallows board members from responding to the public’s questions.

“What is my mode of communication with the board that represents the interests of the parents and residents of North Haven when it comes to how the school system is run?” she asked. “When you go to the website, there is really no way of contacting board members.”

Board chairman Stephen DiCapua suggested that those with concerns first contact the applicable staff – teachers, principals, and board committee chairs. In response, Caldwell asked what options the public had should they be unsatisfied by staff response.

“With regard to your frustration with the board, once you have contacted the appropriate staff, I think it’s important for everybody to know that this is the right place to come if you’re frustrated with the results you haven’t gotten or that you have gotten,” replied board member Wesley O’Brien. “The fact that we’re not allowed to respond in public to certain kinds of questions shouldn’t be construed as to suggest that we’re not looking into comments that have been made. That’s what these comments are for.”

Caldwell said the town in which she previously resided had heightened discussion on its Board of Education, an aspect she missed. “The district I came from, you had that back and forth,” she said, “you had a feeling that your interests and concerns were really being addressed. And it may be true that our concerns are being addressed, but we don’t know that, because the communication is a one-way thing.”

“It’d be nice if there was a way for that communication,” she added.

Speaker Chris Peterson asked whether Republican board member Suzanne Donofrio had resigned. Board members responded that Donofrio had moved out of town, and her replacement had not yet been made.