West Hartford Public Schools

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West Hartford Public Schools is the public school district for West Hartford, Connecticut. It serves pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and has 18 schools with a budget of about $209 million. The district’s superintendent is Paul Vicinus.

Middle schools and assignments
- Students attend King Philip or Sedgwick Middle School based on where they live.
- Bristow Middle School uses a lottery for placement and is the smallest of the three middle schools.

Budget notes
- In March 2021, Superintendent Tom Moore proposed a budget of $176.3 million for the 2021–2022 school year, a 2.28% increase ($3.93 million). Increases were due to salary pay, student outplacement, and transportation for extra buses for special education.

Demographics (as of October 1, 2018)
- 0.1% American Indian
- 10.9% Asian
- 8.1% Black
- 19.4% Hispanic (of any race)
- 0.1% Native Hawaiian
- 56.5% White
- 4.9% two or more races

Leadership changes
- On September 5, 2023, the West Hartford Board of Education voted 4–0 to appoint LaToya Fernandez to fill the remainder of Jason O. Chang’s term. Chair Lorna Thomas-Farquharson said the decision was made with careful consideration. Fernandez had been Norwalk’s Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer and left that position in February 2024. She has a background as a community advocate and has supported various federal and local positions.

Mascots and identity
- In 2015, the board allowed Conard and Hall high schools to keep their nicknames (Chieftain and Warrior) only if Native American imagery was removed. In 2022 the board ended the use of these nicknames. A new state law would limit funding for schools that use Native American imagery in mascots, nicknames, logos, or team names, so the schools will choose new nicknames.

School start times
- In 2019, the board rejected a plan to start schools later, noting the transportation costs would exceed $2 million if high schools and middle schools began at 8:15 a.m. In February 2020, the board supported a statewide move to have grades 6–12 begin classes no earlier than 8:30 a.m. to help students be healthier and more alert.