www.southingtoncitizen.com
Volume 20, Number 52
Friday, December 29, 2023
Library gets new look after additional funding By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
it’s going to actually look like.”
Southington leaders are close to approving expansion plans for the library following a redesign made possible with state money.
New look A state grant approved this fall provided $5 million more to the $17 million library project, which allowed an increase to the square footage as well as design improvements and other upgrades.
Jim Morelli, a town councilor and library building committee chairman, said his group approved a new look for the library and is Additional money will also settling on colors for some of allow an upgrade to the exthe exterior materials. terior aesthetics of the proposed library, which had He’s pleased with the been criticized by some changes. town officials and residents. “It’s hard to look at a drawAmong those critics was ing with some colors on a Robert Hammersley, Planpage and visualize what it’s ning and Zoning Commisgoing to look like,” Morelli said. “I think that people are sion chairman, who said the original library design generally pleased that they made the modifications, (al- looked like a factory. though) I think there’s still some confusion about what See Library, A7 Plans for the redesigned Southington Library
Town of Southington
Districts frustrated, supportive of reading program By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff
With fewer than half of thirdgraders statewide proficient readers, state leaders are implementing new curriculum requirements for school districts. But those changes, mandated in a 2021 Right to Read bill, aren’t universally popular with local school
leaders. This month, the state Department of Education announced which districts would be granted waivers, allowing local school systems to continue with their current curriculum. Those without waivers can make changes to bring reading instruction in line with the sci-
ence of reading methods or adopt reading curricula approved by the state. Meriden, Wallingford, Southington and Cheshire all applied for waivers earlier this year. Only Wallingford received one, affirming its current approach. Berlin and North Haven dis-
tricts also applied but were denied a waiver, while the Plainville School District was considered “transitional,” which means the district must “add and substitute specific programmatic or curriculum components” to be approved. Local school leaders had mixed reactions to the waiv-
er request results.
‘Science of reading’ According to the state education department, 54.5% or about 19,500 third grade students weren’t proficient in English language arts in the 2022-23 school year. About 3,000 are Black, about 8,000 See Reading, A10