North Branford BOE Subcommittee Advances Literacy Initiative for Elementary Schools

North Branford Subcommittee Sends Reading Plan to Full Board

The North Branford Board of Education's Curriculum & Instruction Subcommittee voted on February 19 to advance a new literacy initiative targeting elementary reading proficiency. The proposal now heads to the full board for review at a future meeting that has not yet been scheduled.

The subcommittee met at the Stanley T. Williams Community Center at 1332 Middletown Avenue in Northford, where members reviewed results from a pilot program and stakeholder feedback before voting to move the initiative forward. A prior meeting on January 22 also addressed the proposal at the same location, according to publicly posted agendas on the town website.

The initiative focuses on reading instruction in the district's two elementary schools — Jerome Harrison School, which serves pre-K through second grade, and Totoket Valley Elementary School. Together, they educate a portion of the district's 1,546 total students.

North Branford Reading Scores Already Above State Average

North Branford's elementary students currently read above the statewide benchmark. According to state assessment data, 69% of elementary students in the district test at or above the proficient level in reading. That compares to a 51% average across all Connecticut public schools.

The subcommittee's decision to pursue a new literacy approach suggests the district sees room for growth despite those numbers. The February 19 agenda referenced pilot results and stakeholder input as the basis for moving forward, though detailed performance data from the pilot program has not been made public.

The district operates with a student-to-teacher ratio of roughly 11 to 1, with 143 full-time equivalent teachers across its four schools. North Branford spends $24,212 per pupil on current expenditures, with 53% of that — about $12,878 per student — going directly to classroom instruction, according to federal education data.

State Law Puts Pressure on Reading Instruction Statewide

The initiative arrives as Connecticut school districts work to meet requirements under the state's Right to Read law. Passed in 2021 as part of Public Act 21-2, the legislation requires all districts to fully implement evidence-based reading curricula grounded in the science of reading. Full compliance was required as of July 1, 2025.

The law mandates that reading instruction incorporate phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, fluency and reading comprehension. A Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success within the Connecticut State Department of Education oversees compliance and maintains a list of approved K-3 reading programs.

In May 2025, the state Board of Education adopted new Educator Competencies for Structured Literacy and Dyslexia. Teacher preparation programs across Connecticut must implement those competencies by fall 2026. Districts are also required to report on their adopted reading curricula to the state on a biennial basis.

The publicly posted agendas for the North Branford subcommittee meetings do not explicitly reference the Right to Read law, so it is unclear whether the initiative is a direct response to the state mandate or an independent effort by the district.

Limited Detail in Public Agendas

The February 19 and January 22 meeting agendas confirm the literacy initiative as an action item and list the community center as the meeting venue. Beyond that, the publicly available documents offer limited detail on the substance of the discussions.

No vote counts, named participants or public comment summaries appear in the posted agendas. The specific curricula, teaching methods or assessments under consideration have not been disclosed. Budget figures and funding sources for the initiative also remain unavailable.

Dr. Carter Welch, the district's Director of Curriculum & Instruction, oversees the office responsible for literacy programming in North Branford. Superintendent Scott Schoonmaker leads the district. Neither has been quoted in available meeting materials regarding the proposal.

The district's Office of Curriculum & Instruction has also been engaged in broader student wellness work, including a district-wide book study on "The Anxious Generation" and efforts to address cell phone and social media use among students.

What Comes Next

The full North Branford Board of Education will take up the literacy proposal at a meeting that has not yet been scheduled. Residents can monitor upcoming agendas on the town's official website at northbranfordct.gov.

No public hearings or community forums on the initiative have been announced. Once the full board acts, details on implementation timelines, curriculum choices and associated costs are expected to follow.

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