November 15, 2019
Please know we make any decision regarding the delay
or cancellation of school with the highest priority
being the safety of students and staff.
Dear Milford Community,
Can you believe there are 13 days until Thanksgiving, and 40 days until Christmas. It’s amazing how quickly Fall came, and before long, it will be replaced with Winter! Brrrrrrr!
The Halloween parade has come and gone. I had so much fun dressing up as Jessie to compliment Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and Little Bo-Peep in our march with the Jacques students. Frankly, I was a bit surprised to see Santa has already appeared in most malls waiting for eager children to make their Christmas wishes, and families to get their Holiday photos.
Our High School Athletes have had a tremendously successful Fall sports season at MHS, and we have been working hard on developing the budget for the 20-21 School Year. You will find it to be a comprehensive analysis of the state of our schools, and can view it online on our district website sometime next week. A very special thanks to the administrative team for their hard work and input in the development of the budget. Specifically, I would like to extend a tremendous thanks to Jane Fortson, our BA, Christi Michaud, our Assistant Superintendent, and Laura Sebert from HR for joining me many Saturdays and Sundays in the office to bring it to completion.
I will be hosting a community conversation on the budget, and other topics on Nov. 20th at 7:00 PM in the Town Hall Banquet Hall. The Board and Budget Committee will be reviewing the proposed budget, and are scheduled for a joint meeting on Saturday, November 23rd in the High School library for our annual discussion.
With the Winter season upon us, I want to review with everyone how the decision for cancelling school is made.
Superintendents from around Milford, including myself, are constantly monitoring the weather forecasts. We begin discussing concerns together the night before any significant report of inclement weather. We are all up early, corresponding with one another, and with each of our Departments of Public Works. Because we have staff and students traveling to and from other jurisdictions, we all like to be on the same page. No decision is made in isolation, or individually. If the DPW says the roads are unsafe, or there is a question as to whether they can be cleared in time to ensure the safe passing of buses, or if our own Facilities Department is unable to clear the schools in time to open them, this would result in a cancellation or delay. Families and staff will be notified via Blackboard Connect, our Website, News Stations, and our Social Media sites. Please know we make any decision regarding the delay or cancellation of school with the highest priority being the safety of students and staff. The decision is made in collaboration with our Department of Public Works, and fellow Superintendents.
I want to say a special thanks to all of our Staff for the incredible work they have been doing on behalf of our students here in Milford. We are lucky to have them, and the community ‘s support behind us as we continue to strive for excellence for every child, every day.
I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving, and a wonderful Holiday Season with family and friends.
Best Regards,
Dr. Jessica Huizenga
