Madison Public School District

The meeting commenced with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the school community session and public participation guidelines, noting that comments are limited to three minutes and the board will not necessarily respond during the regular meeting. The Board of Education student representatives provided an update regarding the conclusion of trimester 1 exams, the start of trimester 2, and positive feedback on student preparedness. Key discussion points included the principal being a finalist for Connecticut Principal of the Year, upcoming chorus and jazz chamber concerts, and increased attendance at student performances. Student representatives also shared perspectives on senior college application stress and the challenges faced by the junior class. A significant portion of the meeting involved the Superintendent's report, which detailed a full review of the district's enrollment projections based on reports from the MP Planning Group. Discussions covered the impact of the kindergarten enrollment age change, birth rate fluctuations, and current enrollment trends showing declines followed by projected increases, especially at the middle and high school levels. Specific attention was given to the impact of moving preschool (preK) enrollment to Brown School, resulting in enrollment increases at Neck River and Brown School, and the observation that families are seeking residences in the southern end of town due to the new Brown building. The Finance Committee report previewed upcoming budget discussions.

The primary purpose of this special meeting was to discuss and take action on a potential revised 2025-2026 school calendar, based on administration recommendations. Key actions included converting an existing professional development day on March 16th into a half-day of school with the afternoon reserved for elementary teacher conferences, which also served to makeup for a lost elementary conference day. The administration also recommended forgiving one student day to maintain 180 student days for the academic year, moving the end date for students to June 18th, with teacher workdays concluding on June 22nd. Discussions also addressed Connecticut's strict state requirements regarding snow days not being excused, and potential truancy concerns for families with pre-scheduled travel coinciding with the newly designated school day of March 16th.

The meeting commenced with the School and Community Session, during which public participation guidelines were reviewed, though no one spoke. The Board of Education Student Representatives reported on recent and upcoming activities, including Wellness Wednesday, a career fair for juniors and seniors, and the distribution of a cell phone usage survey to high schoolers and parents. The student representative also shared personal achievements, including progressing to a regional finalist for the Coca-Cola Foundation and being named Student of the Month by the Madison Exchange Club. The School Counseling department's recent intensive efforts, such as one-on-one meetings with students for course selection and junior/parent planning meetings, were detailed. Furthermore, the report highlighted collaboration with the Pulson middle school to assist the incoming eighth-grade class (Class of 2030) with high school course selection and orientation. Counselor Appreciation Week was also noted. The Superintendent's report confirmed the passage of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) committee for the upcoming budget cycle and provided an update on the Pulson construction project, noting that detailed reports would follow in a future Facilities Committee meeting. The Superintendent also confirmed that the cell phone survey was distributed to parents, yielding a thousand responses thus far, with student surveys to follow. Finally, the Superintendent confirmed the health insurance budget numbers would remain as presented without positive changes. The board then moved to action items, discussing and ultimately approving the recommended 2026-2027 budget of $67,589,794, a 4.24% increase. Board member comments included recognizing a volunteer for the CABE liaison role and updates regarding involvement in the Madison 200 celebration.

This document presents 10-year enrollment projections for Madison Public Schools from 2025-26 to 2035-36. It provides a detailed analysis of enrollment drivers, including demographics, housing market conditions, birth trends, and student migration patterns. The projections are based on a Cohort Survival Methodology, offering low, medium, and high models. The medium model, identified as the most probable, forecasts a moderate 12% increase in PK-12 enrollment over the next decade, with specific growth anticipated across elementary, middle, and high school levels, driven by larger matriculating cohorts and elevated in-migration.

The meeting included reports from the Board of Education Student Representatives detailing mid-trimester progress, VIBE competition travel, student leadership discussions on cell phones, successful Career Expo, and a gymnastics championship win. The Superintendent's report covered the 100th Day of School celebrations, tentative calendar adjustments resulting in a new last day of school of June 17, and a presentation on cell phone survey results. The Board approved the consent agenda items, which included budget expenditures as of January 30, 2026, and the January Personnel Report. Committee updates were provided, noting discussions on four policies by the Policy Committee. A key action item was the approval of a $3,850 donation from the Neck River PTO to fund subscriptions for Neck River Elementary School. The minutes from the January 27, 2026 meeting were also approved. Future agenda items requested include the cell phone policy and unified sports.