Palmer continues to receive transportation benefits, salary while on medical leave

Audrey Bernstein ’20 and Allie D'Angelo ’20

May 2, 2019

Superintendent Dr. Colleen Palmer will continue to receive her annual base salary and insurance benefits while on leave for medical reasons until her retirement on Aug. 1. Palmer will additionally be receiving a transportation allowance through her leave time, according to the Separation Agreement between Palmer...

Board of Education appoints Anthony Buono Acting Superintendent of Schools

Audrey Bernstein ’20 and Allie D’Angelo ’20

April 8, 2019

The Board of Education (BOE) voted unanimously (7-0) to appoint former Assistant Superintendent Anthony Buono as the Acting Superintendent of the Westport Public School District on April 8. Buono will begin on April 9.   “I’m honored to accept the position until [the BOE] is able to find a suita...

Palmer announces retirement

Sophie Driscoll '19

March 15, 2019

Superintendent Dr. Colleen Palmer announced on March 14 that she will retire on Aug. 1.   “The district is in a time right now where it can be handed over to another superintendent, and I will work tirelessly to make sure that happens smoothly,” Palmer said.   In a press re...

Westport Board of Education finalizes plan for next year’s middle schoolers

Reece Keusch '19

December 26, 2018

Superintendent Colleen Palmer and the Westport Board of Education decided to send all sixth graders to the elementary schools next year in order to solve the current spacing issues at Bedford Middle School and Staples High School. This plan also involves placing all Westport seventh and eighth graders at B...

WPS eliminates Wednesday before Thanksgiving

November 12, 2018

Westport Public Schools no longer has school on Wednesday Nov. 21, the day before Thanksgiving, to allow for a more family-oriented break. With the day typically having lots of absenteeism from the student body, the administration found the day to lack educational productivity.

Westport BOE approves first ever Innovation fund

September 14, 2017

By Jack Beck ’18 The Westport Public Schools will have a $50,000 innovation fund implemented into the budget for the first time. The fund is specifically for the use of students and faculty to be able to explore projects and encourage a new way of thinking without having to worry about cost. ...

Board of Education discusses further budget restoration

April 25, 2017

By Becky Hoving '17 Members of the Board of Education (BoE) met Monday, April 24 to respond to the restoration of $310,000 to the Westport Public Schools budget. The restoration is a response to the initial $2.4 million dollar cut to the annual budget that Superintendent Dr. Colleen Palmer warned...

[Oct. 2016 Features] Palmer and Perillo protect our community

November 22, 2016

By Phoebe Mendelson '17   As you walk through the doors of Staples each morning bleary eyed and tired from the previous night’s work, you are likely to be greeted by one of the two campus security guards. Ronald Palmer and William Perillo are both retired police officers and when combin...

[Oct. 2016 Opinions] The push to sleep in–Why Staples High School needs to start later

November 22, 2016

By Jason Streiter '17   At 6:30 a.m., my alarm goes off. It’s another day of school. In the world outside of Staples High School, that would sound pretty early; however, 6:30 is actually late for many students, as I know people who wake up at 4:30 to prepare for the day. As I roll out of b...

A Passing of the Reins

Jimmy Ray Stagg, Staff Writer

April 7, 2016

Almost any weekday at around 5:30 a.m., if you look out over the Saugatuck River, you’ll see many early bird rowers taking advantage of dawn’s quiet serenity. Among these early risers there’s a face that will soon become very familiar to the Staples community: Dr. Elliot Landon’s successor as ...