Region 20 Board of Education
2/19/2026 7:00pm
Present: Diane Barnes, Kara Cruoglio, Ashley Hall Daddona, Robert DeLayo, Margaret Hunt, John Morosani (online), Tiffany Parkhouse, Scott Pottbecker, Krista Rizzo, Billie Jean Sideris, Ashley Westfall, Susan Wheeler
The meeting began with reports from two Board Committees. Chair Tiffany Parkhouse reported on recent joint meetings of the Board of Education and the Boards of Finance. She summarized the process by noting that they were “making really good progress.” Later in the meeting she reported that the Board expected to have the budget ready for April and directed residents to the district website to review the budget draft documents. Ashley Westfall reported on the Policy Committee’s recent work noting that policy reviews would be forthcoming.
The Consent Agenda, consisting of the minutes of the January 15 meeting of the Board, an out-of-state field trip, and a one-year unpaid personal leave for a teacher, was accepted without discussion on a motion by John Morosani and a second by Susan Wheeler.
Superintendent Jeffrey Villar updated the Board on a change to the icons used on the district website and announced that Plum Hill Middle School Library Media Specialist Christine Rosa had been selected as the January 2026 Connecticut Southern New England Rosen Publishing Librarian of the Month.
The Board heard from several students at Lakeview High School who reported on activities at the school.
Chief Financial Officer Julia Cardillo updated the Board on the current year’s capital budget, stating that the district is “still in good shape,” noting later that although some lines in the current budget may appear to be in deficit, she expected those lines to “ebb and flow” and that she was still anticipating an end-of-year surplus. Kara Cruoglio asked about how the surplus was reflected in budget documents for Fiscal Year 2027; Cardillo reported that it was not and that a discussion about the surplus would occur at the end of the year. Cardillo also reported that she would be bringing the Board budget transfer requests at upcoming meetings to cover line-item deficits.
During public comment, Goshen resident Rebecca Hubschman reiterated her concerns about the District’s lack of intervention processes, citing the high cost of special education services that might be avoided with early intervention services to students.
The Board’s only action item was the acceptance of a gift from the Charlie Staub Scholarship Fund that would eliminate the school-lunch deficits of 15 families. A motion to accept the gift, made by Westfall and seconded by Morosani, was approved.
The meeting adjourned at 7:28pm. A budget workshop is scheduled for February 26 and a regular Board meeting for March 12, both at Litchfield Intermediate School.
