The Brookfield Board of Education has scheduled an emergency meeting for Wednesday, May 15 at 7 p.m. in the Brookfield Library conference room to meet with its attorney, and then will meet in public to discuss and possibly take a vote on Schools Superintendent Tony Bivona’s contract of employment.
The school board has been evaluating Bivona’s job performance for months in the wake of concerns about financial mismanagement by district administrators. The board previously took action that prompted the resignation of former Director Finance Art Colley.
The latest concern related to district finances relates to a pledged credit for over $471,000 from Cigna, the town and school’s medical insurance carrier, that the company now appears unwilling to recognize. Without that credit, town and school leaders are concerned about whether or not the school system will be able to stay within its current budget limits.
Bivona’s attorney, Leon Rosenblatt of West Hartford, stated that he expects Bivona will provide adequate documentation to show that he is not responsible for any negotiations, or misunderstandings, related to the Cigna health credit issue. He said he cannot predict what action the board might take, but that Bivona has done nothing wrong in his role as the district’s education leader. He reiterated that these issues surrounding accounting errors, and no missing money or abuse of taxpayer dollars.