East Haven Public Schools will receive $70,000 from the state to send trained home visitors to families of students who are missing too much school. Interim Superintendent Adam Swinney announced the award at the Board of Education’s Oct. 13 meeting, according to the meeting minutes filed with the town clerk on Oct. 15.
The money comes from the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Learner Engagement and Attendance Program, known as LEAP. East Haven is one of 29 districts statewide picked for 2026-27 grants.
Where the visits will happen
The minutes say the grant will pay for home visits at East Haven High School, Joseph Melillo Middle School and Deer Run Elementary School, “where chronic absenteeism has been a concern.” The goal is to build stronger ties between home and school, find out what is keeping individual students and families from attending, and spot wider community needs the district can address.
Swinney credited Stephanie Rivellini with building the application with district leaders and reaching out to other districts. He also noted that the competitive grant could open the door to more funding in future years.
How LEAP works
In LEAP, trained school staff or community partners visit students and families at home, build a relationship, figure out what is driving the absences, and connect families with help, according to the state’s announcement. The program started in 2021 with federal COVID-19 relief money after chronic absenteeism spiked during the pandemic. It has since become a $7 million line in the state budget.
The state is awarding about $6.2 million of that directly to districts this year, CT News Junkie reported Oct. 8. The rest pays for home-visitor training, implementation and data collection. State officials said home visitors have made about 88,000 visits and reached about 53,000 students since LEAP began. They also cited a Center for Connecticut Education Research Collaboration evaluation that found attendance improved by more than 10 percentage points after a LEAP visit. Statewide, they said, chronic absenteeism has fallen four years in a row, from 23.7% in 2021-22 to 16.4% in 2025-26.
Nearby districts on the 2026-27 list include New Haven ($425,000), West Haven ($200,000) and Hamden ($200,000).
Part of the superintendent’s goals
The grant ties into the 2026-27 goals Swinney presented the same night. Under the “culture and climate” goal, the district aims to bring chronic absenteeism below 15%. Other goals include a three-year curriculum review cycle, a continued focus on math, rolling out the new K–5 literacy program in partnership with the Hill for Literacy, keeping certified-staff retention at 96%, and raising paraprofessional retention to 85%. The minutes say board members praised the measurable targets.
Also at the meeting
- The board voted 7-0 to approve a revised Policy #5114 on suspension, expulsion and due process. The Policy Committee said this was its second and final review. Members Hennessey and Johnson were absent.
- The district named its fall SEC Scholar-Athletes: Amanda Lesco (cheerleading) and Oliver Olszewski (football). The athletics report said volleyball was nearing a playoff spot and senior nights would start the following week.
- Secondary school leadership teams are set to present start-of-year data and improvement plans at the next meeting. Elementary teams follow in November.
The board’s next regular meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 27. Agendas and minutes are posted in the town’s Agenda Center.
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