Weekly Message from the Superintendent

Superintendent's Weekly Message - February 20, 2026

Dear SPS Community:

Last night, Chief Academic Officer Amy Beldotti and representatives of the CT RISE Network presented first semester high school academic data to the Board of Education.

We are pleased to report substantial gains in on-track rates for first-time ninth-grade students, which is a key indicator of four-year graduation outcomes. Stamford High School’s on-track rate increased to 94% (from 68%), while Westhill High School’s on-track rate increased to 87% (from 61%). AITE, which already demonstrated strong performance, remained stable at 96%.

In addition, first-semester passing rates across all core academic courses improved this year under the Flexible Schedule model, compared to the prior two years under the 7-Block A/B and 8-Block A/B schedules.

These results reinforce the district’s decision to transition to the Flexible Schedule to improve student outcomes. Stakeholders interested in reviewing the data are encouraged to view the presentation slides from last night’s meeting. A recording of the meeting is available here (presentation begins at 07:20).

Complete the 2026 School Climate Survey

The Stamford Public Schools Climate Survey for Families is now open. The SPS School Climate Survey measures how welcome and safe parents and caregivers feel in their child’s school.

The 2026 School Climate Survey for Families is available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Ukrainian. The survey is hosted by Panorama Education and all responses are completely anonymous.

Please complete a separate survey for each child you have in Stamford Public Schools. The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, March 27.

Teachers, staff, and students will have the opportunity to take the School Climate Survey in March.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Filling in the Blanks Mobile Food Pantry in Stamford Tomorrow

The Filling in the Blanks Fresh Food on the Move Mobile Food Pantry returns to Stamford tomorrow, Saturday, February 21 from 6:30 to 9 am. The mobile food pantry will be set up at St. Mary Parish which is located at 566 Elm Street. The mobile food pantry is first come, first served, and there is no cost for the food provided. Please bring any form of ID to be able to register.

In addition to the fresh, free food, there will be doctors on site, housing providers, Building One Community advocates, and more.

National FFA Week

Each year, Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapters around the country celebrate National FFA Week to share what FFA is and the impact it has on members every day. This year, National FFA Week is February 21-28.

Stamford Public Schools is proud to be the home of the Regional FFA Program serving students from Stamford, Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Ridgefield, Weston and Wilton. Westhill High School has been the home of the Stamford Regional FFA Program for more than 50 years, and this year there are 134 students enrolled in this specialized academic program.

In honor of National FFA Week, please check out the Stamford Regional FFA Program’s promotional video here.

Also, please save the date for the Stamford Regional FFA Program’s annual Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, May 2 and Saturday, May 9 from 10 am to 3 pm in the AgSci building at Westhill High School.

Thank You for Attending Parent Teacher Conferences!

Thank you to the thousands of parents who took time to attend parent-teacher conferences this week. Participating in parent-teacher conferences is critical to maintaining a strong school-home partnership to support your child’s academic and social-emotional growth. I’d also like to thank our classroom teachers and teacher specialists who worked hard to prepare materials for these conferences so parents can better understand how their children are doing in school.

Congratulations Westhill Indoor Percussion and Color Guard Teams

Last weekend, the Westhill High School Indoor Percussion and Winter Guard teams participated in their first ever dual team trip to a Winter Guard International (WGI) Regional Championship.

The Westhill Winter Guard made school history by earning its first ever WGI Medal, securing the silver in Scholastic Regional A Class (SRA), while the Indoor Percussion Team maintained its Regional Championship Gold in Percussion Scholastic A Class (PSA).

Thank you to Ms. Blair Roberts, Director of Instrumental Music at Westhill High School, for making these opportunities possible for Westhill students. Thanks, also, to all of the parent volunteers who dedicate countless hours to supporting the Westhill Instrumental Music Program.