Category Archives: Departments

Tom Bushnell of Old Lyme Named Assistant Principal at LOL High School

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Tom Bushnell will replace Lyme-Old Lyme High School Assistant Principal Jeanne Manfredi on July 1. Photo courtesy of the Lyme-Old Lyme Schools.

OLD LYME – On April 3, Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools announced that Tom Bushnell of Old Lyme will replace Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) Assistant Principal Jeanne Manfredi upon her retirement at the end of the current school year. 

The district in a press release said Bushnell, who currently serves as an assistant principal at North Haven High School, will begin his new position on July 1.

Superintendent of Schools Ian Neviaser said the district received 160 applications.

He commented, “Tom’s calm and friendly demeanor, along with his passion for working with young adults, made him stand out from a very competitive field.” Neviaser added, “We look forward to Tom joining our team and continuing to build upon the success of Lyme-Old Lyme High School.”

With four years’ experience as assistant principal, Bushnell has also worked as a social studies and math teacher at Adams Middle School in Guilford and St. Thomas More School in Montville. 

Bushnell has a sixth year certificate in educational leadership from the University of Connecticut, a master’s degree from Fairfield’s Sacred Heart University, and earned his bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College.

Bushnell lives in Old Lyme with his wife and two children.

Manfredi is retiring after more than 30 years in the district, including nine years as LOLHS Assistant Principal. She worked initially for LOL Schools from June 1991 to 1999, returning in 2003. 

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with the number of years of service of the retiring Assistant Principal.

Old Lyme Zoning Commission Closes Public Hearing on Controversial Overlay Proposal in Front of Fervent Opposition

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People had to be turned away from the Lyme-Old Lyme High School auditorium after its 550-person capacity was reached Wednesday night for the Zoning Commission’s Public Hearing on the Halls Road Improvements Committee Overlay District proposal. Photo by E. Regan.

OLD LYME — With the Lyme-Old Lyme High School auditorium filled to capacity with 550 people intent on hearing and being heard, the Old Lyme Zoning Commission on Wednesday held its final open forum on a controversial proposal to reenvision Halls Road as a mixed-use town center where people can live, walk, work and shop. 

The commission closed the public hearing after more than three hours of testimony from roughly 40 people, most of them opposed to the plan for an overlay district that would allow apartments and condominiums to be built above, or behind, ground-floor businesses set close to the street. 

No new information can be presented now that the hearing has concluded. The commission has 65 days to consider the evidence and reach a decision.

The overlay district proposal, created by the Halls Road Improvements Committee, was approved by the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen in a 2-1 vote in November. The application to the Zoning Commission was signed by First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker. 

Attorney William Sweeney, representing the applicant, presented the proposal to the commission.

The raucous crowd waved “Vote No” signs in enthusiastic agreement when people spoke against the proposal, and in pointed dissent when anyone spoke in favor. Chairman Paul Orzel called on several occasions for civility.

There were repeated requests for the public hearing, which was first opened in January and had already been extended with the consent of the applicant, to be continued to another date because not everybody who showed up at the high school could fit into the auditorium. Fire Marshal Dave Roberge at the beginning of the meeting said there were between 50 and 100 people standing in the hallway whom he was not permitted to allow in per the state fire code. 

But Sweeney, seated at the hearing next to Halls Road Improvements Committee Chairwoman Edie Twining, said his client would not agree to another extension. State statute requires a public hearing to close within 35 days unless the applicant allows it to remain open. 

Chairman Paul Orzel and Land Use Coordinator Eric Knapp said the agenda for the April 14 Zoning Commission will include the overlay application as well as other items of business. Orzel said deliberations will begin at that meeting if time permits after other matters have been handled.

Editor’s Notes: i) Full story coming Thursday.
ii) A reminder of Our Policy on Comments.

Lyme-Old Lyme HS Wednesday Sports Round-Up: Baseball, Golf, Girls’ & Boys’ Tennis, All Win

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Baseball

In a thrilling game, played at Portland, Old Lyme was ultimately defeated 12-11 by Portland.

Old Lyme opened the scoring in the top of the first thanks to two singles. Rowen Meisner (2-4, 1 RBI, 2 R) singled, scoring one run.

The Wildcats added to their early lead in the top of the third inning when Cal Lacourciere (1-4, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB) singled, scoring two runs, Kev Shegirian (1-4, 1 RBI, 1 R) doubled, scoring one run, and a wild pitch scored another run.

Portland scored seven runs on two hits in the bottom of the fourth inning. An error scored two runs, Yandel Rivera (1-4, 2 RBI, 2 R) singled, scoring two runs, another error scored another two runs, and Conner Doyle (1-5, 3 RBI) grounded out, scoring one run.

Portland then took the lead, 12-11, in the bottom of the seventh thanks to singles by Cade Moden (1-1, 1 R), and Doyle.

Moden earned the win for Portland. He allowed zero hits and zero runs over one inning, striking out one and walking one. Ben Frazier started the game for Lyme-Old Lyme. He only allowed three hits and eight runs (only one earned) over five innings, striking out five and walking two. Doyle began the game for Portland Varsity Highlander. He gave up six hits and six runs over three innings, striking out two and walking two.

Old Lyme had 10 hits in the game. Lacourciere led Lyme-Old Lyme with two runs batted in. Aidan Carpentino (3-5, 1 RBI, 1 R) led Old Lyme with three hits in five at bats. Meisner and Jackson Pannier (2-4, 1 RBI) each collected multiple hits for Lyme-Old Lyme. Meisner stole two bases.

The Wildcats had six stolen bases for the game.

Doyle, Aaron Ciarleglio (1-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB) Rivera, Moden, and Bryce Walsh (1-4, 1 R, 1 BB) each collected one hit for Portland. 

Boys’ Golf

Old Lyme defeated Valley Regional 176 – 222 at Black Hall Country Club where par is 35.

Coach Kirk Kaczor commented after the match, “Jonah [Scheckwitz] shot a 3 over par 38 in his first varsity match—that’s the best score I’ve had for a Freshman in my 17 years as golf coach [at Old Lyme.].”  

Full scores were as follows:

Old Lyme
Jonah Scheckwitz  38 (Medalist)
Elliot Dunn-Sims   46
Carter McGlinchey 47
Arthur Riccio  47

Valley Regional 
Braedan Nunes 51
Julian Mardjekaj 52
Owen Gallagher 56
Levi Batt 63

Boys’ Tennis

Old Lyme boys tennis defeated Old Saybrook/Portland 5-2 at Old Saybrook.

Full match scores were as follows:

Singles:
1 Singles: Andy Sicuranza (OL) def Elliot Rowland (OS) 2-6, 6-3, 10-7 (Tiebreak)
2 Singles: Micah Bass (OL) def Drew Demers (OS) 6-3, 6-0
3 Singles: Rowan Hovey (OL) lost to Dylan Cohen: 5-7, 1-6
4 Singles: Oliver Wyman (OL) lost to Peyton Mazzulo (OS) 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3-7 tiebreak)

Doubles:
1 Doubles: Chris Dagher & Gavin Gray (OL) def Nico Sokolowski & Carlos Velez (OS) 6-2, 6-1
2 Doubles: Ryan Olsen & Ryan Miller (OL) def Teddy Chacha & Beni Misenti (OS) 6-2, 6-0
3 Doubles: James Dahlke & John Turick (OL) won due to Forfeit.

Girls’ Tennis

Lyme-Old-Lyme Girls Tennis defeated Old Saybrook High School 6-1 at Old Lyme.

Full match scores were as follows:

1st Singles:
Katherine Zhang vs Michele Sapozhnikov 6-0, 6-3 

2nd Singles: 
Emma Arelt vs Elizabeth Pamment 6-0, 6-0

3rd Singles: 
Mari Munster vs Alex Hirst 2-6, 4-6

4th Singles: 
Rose Dimmock vs Camellia Motolanez       6-1, 6-2

1st Doubles: 
Stella Young / Addy Morosky vs Lily Dower / Chloe Young 6-4, 6-2

2nd Doubles:  
Katie Ferman / Ainsley Rinoski vs Caroline Ancona/ Tenzin Choedhar  6-1, 6-2

3rd Doubles:
Ada LaConti / Allegra Schaedler vs Evelyn Gage/ Elizabeth Bubello 6-4, 6-1

Lyme-Old Lyme School Board to Hear from Music Department Amid Outcry About Threatened Cut to Elementary School Position

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OLD LYME—After backlash to a proposed budget cut that would eliminate an elementary school music position from the proposed 2025-26 Region 18 schools’ budget, the district Board of Education has invited members of the music department for a conversation about how to maintain a vibrant and appropriately-staffed music department amid declining enrollment.

The proposed cut comes as part of the $39.7 million budget proposal coming in at an increase of $2.7 million, or 7.39 percent, over the current spending plan. It goes to voters at a May 6 referendum.

The district school board heard from about a dozen people each at its March and April regular meetings, who were clamoring to keep the music program undisturbed. 

Neviaser in a phone interview Tuesday cited “underenrollment” as the reason the district cannot maintain current staffing levels. 

“We just don’t have the students to support that, or the student interest in music that we used to have,” he said. 

Neviaser said the remaining five music teachers would ensure continued coverage throughout the district. While the schedules have not yet been decided, he suggested a framework that could involve the middle school choral teacher moving to Mile Creek to take over both chorus and band duties, with some support from both the high school band teacher and the music teacher at Lyme Consolidated School. 

“The high school choral teacher, because we have so few enrollments in chorus at the high school, would teach two classes and the rest of her day would be spent at the middle school teaching chorus there,” he said. 

Data provided at an April 2 school board meeting shows there are 40 students in the chorus program at the high school and 73 students in the high school band. At the middle school, there are 119 students in chorus program and 87 students in the band.

Small group chorus lessons at the middle school would combine under the new framework but would not exceed 10 students each, according to Neviaser. 

He has emphasized throughout the budget season that programs available to students would not change due to the staffing cut. 

Overall, the budget proposal assumes there will be 23 fewer students districtwide in the coming year than there are currently. Data in a January budget presentation by Neviaser showed enrollment at the high school is expected to go down by 13 students, while middle school enrollment is expected to increase by 17 students. 

Sara Goldin, a 2014 graduate of Lyme-Old Lyme High School, presented the school board at their April 2 meeting with a petition she started on change.org. It has since garnered 918 signatures. 

Goldin said the change has implications that will affect to varying degrees the number and quality of the ensembles, concerts, music festivals and small group classes in which students are able to participate. 

“Ensembles would be reduced and students at both the middle school and high school level would be losing dedicated staff. This is the definition of affecting programming for students,” Goldin wrote. 

Mary Powell-St. Louis, a former district school board member from Lyme, said retaining the Mile Creek music teacher at an estimated cost of $100,000 for salary and benefits could be accomplished by paying for planned upgrades to the high school sound system and middle school lighting system out of the district’s undesignated fund balance, or ‘Rainy Day Fund,’ rather than the operating budget. 

She said the move would end up lowering the overall budget increase to 6.85%.

There is $3.1 million in the undesignated fund balance, according to Neviaser.  

He said the Board of Education will hold a meeting with music department teachers this Thursday to gauge their thoughts, “and what their solutions might be to address these underenrollment and staffing issues.” 

The school board at the May 5 district budget meeting will vote to send the budget to referendum the next day. 

Neviaser said the budget proposal can be revised prior to or during the May 5 district budget meeting. 

“You can change those numbers right up to the last minute,” he said. “We’ve done it in the past.”

The meeting will be held Thursday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m. at Lyme Consolidated School. A livestream will be available here.

Editor’s Note: This report was updated with details of the time and location of the meeting with the district school board and music department .

Region 18 Schools’ Spending Plan Goes to Voters with $2.7 Million Increase Over Current Budget

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OLD LYME – Voters in Lyme and Old Lyme will be asked to weigh the implications of a relatively steep increase in education spending now that the Region 18 Board of Education’s proposed $39.7 million budget is on its way to voters. 

The district school board on Monday voted unanimously to set a May 5 district budget meeting prior to the May 6 referendum. The vote followed a 10 minute public hearing with a presentation from Superintendent of Schools Ian Neviaser during which no residents spoke. 

The public silence was a departure from previous meetings that drew a cacophony of concern from members of the school community regarding the cut of a music teacher at Mile Creek School that they said would affect music department staffing at all levels.

The proposed budget represents an increase of $2.7 million, or 7.39%, over the current spending plan.

District budget documents show that Old Lyme would be responsible for $31.51 million of the budget, while Lyme would pay $6.96 million. Both towns are billed by the regional school district based on enrollment.

That’s a proposed increase in Old Lyme of $1.99 million, or 6.7%, and in Lyme of $299,504, or 4.5%.

The figure comes from calculating the average number of students over the course of the current school year based on enrollment data from Oct. 1, 2024 and April 1, 2025. 

Neviaser in a phone interview this week attributed the bulk of the proposed budget increase to debt that is coming due on the extensive renovation project in all the district’s schools except Lyme-Old Lyme High School. 

The project involves heating and ventilation system work in the four buildings, plus the addition of new classrooms at Mile Creek School. Voters in late 2022 authorized spending up to $57.5 million on the project.

Of the proposed budget’s $2.7 million increase, $1.8 million is attributable to debt payments on the renovation project. 

“What I want to remind people is, yes, we have a 7.39% increase, but 4.7% of that is in debt service alone. So the operating budget is really only increasing 2.69%, which is exceptionally low if you look at surrounding districts,” he said. 

Proposed school board increases in shoreline districts range from 2.5% in Madison to 6.72% in East Lyme. But the East Lyme Board of Finance last week slashed that town’s proposed $4 million education increase by $1.5 million, leaving it up to the school board – as required by state statute – to figure out where the cuts will come from. 

In the Lyme-Old Lyme schools’ budget proposal, special education spending is up $726,721 over the current year, employee benefits are up $448,485, salaries for certified staff members are up $278,654 and transportation costs are up $164,234.

Neviaser said the increase in special education costs is driven by more students who need to be placed in programs outside the district to meet their needs. There are four students requiring outplacements in the coming year compared to one student when the current budget was approved. 

There are currently 180 kindergarten through grade 12 students with disabilities in the district compared to 162 in 2020-21, according to budget documents. 

The proposed budget includes maintenance and improvements to district facilities totaling $359,200 for a sound system in the high school auditorium, lighting in the middle school auditorium, replacement of the preschool playground and paving of the sidewalk in front of the middle school. 

Other staffing reductions include turning the high school assistant principal position into a ten-month position rather than a full-year position and reducing middle school education staffing by one position. 

The certified staffing cuts in total amount to the equivalent of just over three full time positions.

Neviaser during the public hearing pointed to district budgets going back five years, including the proposed 7.39 increase, that combine for an average increase of 2.73% per year. The second highest jump during that time period was 3% in the budget approved last year. On the opposite end, the budget decreased 0.1% in 2022-23.

But he also included historical data to illustrate that the impact of the renovation project will continue. 

“Just to remind you, anytime we take on new debt service it drives the budget up, especially in the first few years,” he said. 

When debt came due on the last round of elementary school renovations in 2000-01, budget increases hovered around 10% for the first two years and 8% in the third. 

This time around, he emphasized increases won’t be as extreme because the district will spend about $17 million less than what was projected when the project was put out to referendum due to grant funding and good interest rates.