Region One Central Office Administrators and Staff

Superintendent: Patricia A. Chamberlain               Executive Secretary: Lucille A. Paige
Asst. Superintendent: Diane Goncalves                Executive Secretary: Marie B. Wilbur

Telephone:  (860) 824-0855  /  Fax:  (860) 824-1271

What is the Region One Central Office?

The Region One Central Office, also known as Regional Schools Services Center (RSSC), provides cost effective and required services to each of the seven schools and seven boards of education within the region. The elementary schools of Region One: Lee H. Kellogg, Cornwall Consolidated, Kent Center, North Canaan Elementary, Salisbury Central, and Sharon Center are autonomous, but are joined in a consortium to ensure that all students have quality education and the same experiences and opportunities before entering Housatonic Valley Regional High School. While only the high school (grades 9-12) is regionalized, the six K-8 schools share services such as special education, curriculum development, professional development, teacher evaluation, personnel services, testing, and general administration.

A Unique Organization

Region One is unique in its organization and, as its name suggests, was the first in the state to regionalize. The six towns, linked by their schools, represent the largest geographic educational unit (275 square miles) within the state. More significantly, the district schools practice site-based management; daily decision-making taking place where students are receiving their education. The task of the Central Office staff is to provide an array of services that promote, encourage, and assist principals and staff members in their quest for excellence in education. Essential but non-instructional operations, such as labor relations, business functions, purchasing, contract negotiations, record keeping, and research are responsibilities of Central Office personnel.

                                                                    Services

The Region One Central Office provides services in six broadly based categories: personnel, business and finance, general administration including special education, state and federal grants, curriculum and instruction, and leadership.

These categories are subdivided by their specific functions, many of which are categorized. For example, personnel is broken down into these sub-categories: staff recruitment, administration of salaries and benefits, record keeping, labor relations and contracts, staff training and development, internal communication, and administration.

State law requires that each school district hire a superintendent of schools, and conduct special education programs and services for students ages three to twenty-one. There are other state mandates and legal requirements that must be addressed by schools, as well. Without the cooperative effort of Central Office personnel, each school would be required to provide the following services: special education, professional development, remedial education, record keeping for students and teachers, staff recruitment, hiring and dismissal, legal services, and curriculum development. Each of the seven school districts in Region One share the cost of Central Office services based on total student enrollment.