On May 4, the Board of Education (BOE) discussed the results of the Westport/Weston/Wilton Student Health Survey, modifications to Westport Continuing Education and the BOE’s goals for 2015-2016.

The health survey required that a minimum of 100 students were tested in each grade level. The questions covered topics about alcohol, drugs and other problematic issues for teens.

According to the results, the number one reason that female teens drink is stress, while the main reason for boys is boredom.

“I think it’s very powerful for the parents to know… [we should] communicate with them directly. I would do it in a collaborative and informative way,” Paul Block, BOE member, said.

While Block feels strongly about increasing parent awareness, Superintendent Elliott Landon thinks that they’ve already reached out enough.

“Personal involvement [through our workshops and organizations] is really the way to address it,” Landon explained.

After talking about the survey results, the BOE moved onto the topic of modifications to Westport Continuing Education.

Elio Longo, Director of School Business Operations, and Marjorie Cion, Director of Human Resources, informed the board that the position of Director of Continuing Education needs to be filled.

There have been about 50 to 60 applications from a local candidate pool. They have been able to narrow it down to eight candidates based on programing and business experience, Cion said.

Following, the BOE discussed their goals for next year. They include creating improvements in the Westport school curriculum through assessments and instruction, promoting an ethical environment for students, practicing good stewardship and increasing productivity.

“Twenty first century skills, if you don’t do anything about them, they take a back seat,” Block said when discussing curriculum improvements.

In future meetings, the board will continue to discuss their goals and how to best implement them.