Board of Education — June 1, 2026
The meeting was a procedural preparatory session focused on legal standards and exhibit identification rather than active debate.
Public impact
Teacher contract non-renewal hearing
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The board held a procedural meeting to organize an evidentiary hearing regarding the non-renewal of Natalia Gargoula's contract. Discussions focused on whether the hearing should be public or in executive session, the identification of 15 exhibits, and the disclosure of witnesses.
The board agreed to hold the hearing in public following the employee's written consent to release evaluation records.
The next hearing is scheduled for June 10th at 5:00 PM; the union must finalize its witness list and representation status by Friday.
Decisions logged
Topics discussed
▶ 00:22 Procedural Review regarding Public vs. Executive Session
The board discussed whether the hearing regarding Natalia Gargoula's non-renewal should be held in public or executive session.
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The board's attorney initially suggested an executive session because the evidence included teacher evaluation records, which are generally exempt from disclosure under CT General Statute 10-151C. However, Ms. Gargoula requested a public hearing, noting that no student personally identifiable information would be revealed.
Ms. Gargoula provided written consent via email to release the evaluation records for the purpose of this public hearing.
The hearing will proceed as a public meeting.
▶ 26:59 Identification of Exhibits and Evidence
The procedural advisor and administration identified the specific documents that will serve as evidence in the hearing.
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The administration presented 15 exhibits, including notification of non-renewal, statements of reasons, and various observation forms and emails. Several exhibits (numbers 9 through 15) were marked 'for identification purposes only' because the union representative had not yet reviewed them.
Exhibits 1 through 9 were admitted without objection; exhibits 9 through 15 were marked for identification only pending further review.
The administration will mail hard copies of all exhibits to board members and parties, and the union will disclose any additional exhibits by Friday.
▶ 59:05 Witness Disclosure and Representation
The parties identified the witnesses they intend to call during the evidentiary portion of the hearing.
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The administration listed its witnesses as Sandra Carlton (Principal), Sarah Paolini (Assistant Principal), and Dr. Fernandez. The union representative initially mentioned John Corcoran and Donna Daly, but Ms. Gargoula corrected the name to Linda Kuhn.
Both parties identified their intended witnesses, though the union must finalize its representation status and witness list.
The union must notify the board of its final representation status and any additional witnesses by Friday.
Controversy & dissent
Potentially controversial issues
Non-renewal of Natalia Gargoula's contract
Community vs. board tension
Action items
Notable statements
The sole purpose of this hearing is to provide factual information necessary for the board to determine whether the decision to decline to renew the contract of employment of Ms. Natalia Gargoula is arbitrary and capricious. — Unidentified speaker · Outlining the legal standard and purpose of the hearing. ▶ 22:34
The administration has no objection to maintaining the confidentiality of these evaluation documents by conducting the hearing in executive session. We, of course, will defer to Ms. Gargoula, but I wanted the record to be clear that this is not with any support or advice from the administration. — Unidentified speaker · Clarifying the administration's position on the move to a public hearing. ▶ 15:55
Public comment
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gemma-4-26b, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning, grok-4-fast · analyzed 2026-06-10.