Norwich Norwich public school leaders have been planning for months how to use the more than $26 million anticipated in federal COVID-19 impact grants to boost academics, summer school, sports, physical and mental health services.
But until late March, Norwich Free Academy, the designated public high school for eight towns, including three distressed municipalities Norwich, Preston and Sprague sat on the sidelines, pleading for a share.
As an independent, privately endowed academy, NFA does not qualify for federal public school funding through the two CARES Acts and new American Rescue Plan, although the sending towns fund most of the academy s operating budget.
Norwich Nearly 200 Norwich Free Academy teachers, administrators and support staff members made their way to the Norton Gymnasium in small groups Friday to receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“It does feel like a milestone,” said NFA job coach Wes Murphy, who also coaches boys basketball and boys and girls volleyball. “I’m able to do what’s needed to get back to our regular schedule and activities.”
Daisy Torres, a member of the janitorial and cleaning staff, said she was ready to get her vaccine. As a cancer survivor, she said she was “so happy” to sign up for the NFA mass vaccination clinic.
Norwich The newly approved 2021-22 Norwich Free Academy calendar will change the second Monday in October from Columbus Day to Indigenous People Day.
The board of trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the calendar with the change, with board Chairman DeVol Joyner thanking Head of School Brian Kelly for the proposed change. The Norwich Board of Education made the same change earlier this month.
Kelly said Thursday the change was not politically motivated, adding that NFA has an obligation to remain apolitical.
“Our educational philosophy teaches respect for differing opinions, ideas and beliefs, but also a responsibility to teach more accurate and comprehensive chronicles and differing viewpoints about our country’s history,” Kelly said in an email statement Thursday. “Furthermore, the historical importance of indigenous peoples is often in the background of traditional history programs, but NFA is committed to include these stories in the scope and sequence of
Norwich Norwich Free Academy will undergo a major restructuring with staff cuts, redefined positions and operations changes in the 2021-22 school year based on sharply declining enrollment, uncertainty in international students and continuing costs of COVID-19 protections.
But while the overall operating budget of $34.6 million approved by the school s board of trustees Tuesday will decrease by $3.2 million, or 8.46%, from this year’s $37.8 million total, tuition for the eight partner districts with NFA as their main designated high school will increase by 3%. Regular education tuition will be $13,175 for Norwich and $13,375 for the seven other districts. Norwich receives a discount of $200 per student for host-town services.