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Board of Education

About Our Meetings

Election of Members

The Board of Education is an elected body of seven members; no more than a bare majority may represent the same political party. Members are elected for four-year overlapping terms, with three members' terms expiring at one election and the other four at the subsequent election. Board elections are held in odd-numbered years during municipal elections. Political parties may nominate candidates or candidates may run as independent petitioning candidates. For further information, see the Westport Town Charter or contact the Town Clerk's office.  

Board Meetings

Meetings are held on alternate Mondays at Staples High School. Most public sessions start at 7:00 p.m. Agendas, including backup materials, are usually ready by the previous Friday afternoon. Agendas of regular meetings are listed in a legal notice in a local newspaper. Complete agendas, including backup materials, are posted on the BOE Agenda page of this website. The public is welcome to attend meetings in person. Meetings may also be viewed live on Cablevision Channel 78, Frontier TV Channel 99, and by clicking here to view them live-streamed to your computer.

Public Participation at Board Meetings

At every Board meeting, 15 minutes are set aside for public comments and questions about topics not on the agenda. The Board does not engage in dialogue about non-agenda topics, but if the answer to a question can be given at the meeting it will be; otherwise the answer will be deferred.

Items on the Agenda

Major decisions are usually on the agenda for at least two meetings. The first meeting is devoted to discussion by the Board and the public. The public may comment on agenda topics after Board members have asked their questions and made their comments. Public comment is usually not invited at the meeting at which the Board is scheduled to vote, after having heard public comment at the earlier meeting(s).

Contacting Board Members

Members of the community who wish to express an opinion on an issue before the Board, but cannot attend a meeting, may write to the entire Board of Education at boe@westportps.org. Board members may be reached individually by phone and email; their information is available on this website's Board of Education "Members" page. Please note that all written, email and text communications to board members about Board business become a part of the public record and can be accessed by the public using the Freedom of Information Act. Even written communications about board business to board members' personal email addresses, social media accounts and cell phones are part of the public record.

The Board of Education meets at 7:00 p.m. at Staples High School in Cafeteria B.

The public is welcome to attend meetings and speak on matters before the Board for discussion, based on the following guidelines.

 

Guidelines for Public Questions/Comments

The Board may permit any town resident or employee to address the Board concerning any subject that lies within its jurisdiction during a portion of the Board's regular meetings so designated for such purpose.

First Fifteen Minutes:

Comment limited to non-agenda items. Speakers on non-agenda items are limited to 2 minutes each, except by prior arrangement with chair. Public comment on non-agenda topics may be deferred to later in the meeting when special staff or guest presentations are scheduled.

Remainder of the Meeting:

  • Public may speak as agenda topics come up for discussion/information;
  • Speakers on agenda items are limited to 3 minutes each, except by prior arrangement with chair
  • All speakers must identify themselves by name and address, using a microphone;
  • Responses to questions may be deferred if answers not immediately available;
  • Board will not engage in dialogue on non-agenda items.
  • Public comment normally not invited for topics listed for action after having been discussed at a prior meeting.

In This Section:

Recent News

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Three students from Staples High School are participating in the final round of the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair. To make it to this round, Will Boberski, Tessa Cassell, and Sara De Pinho have competed against hundreds of students in grades 7-12 who reside or are enrolled in schools in Connecticut and some bordering New York towns.

Read More about Staples Students in Final Round for Spots at International Fair

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