New commissioners sworn into Bristol Public Schools Board of Education

BRISTOL — Jill Fitzsimons-Bula and Maria Simmons were sworn in as new commissioners with the Bristol Public Schools Board of Education after the resignations of longtime former commissioners, Karen Vibert and Chris Wilson.

Wilson resigned last month and Vibert’s resignation was announced in January.

Simmons said she started her career in education as a special education teacher. She then served 10 years as a principal and the last three-and-a-half years she served as a superintendent with Unified School District One. She also served on the Governor’s Workforce Council and Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee.

“It’s the school district for the Connecticut Department of Correction,” she said of Unified School District One, “which is unique because the population we serve is incarcerated. I retired about two years ago.”

Simmons said she attended Bristol Public Schools while growing up.

“I feel really honored to serve my community in this capacity,” she said. “I believe that the experience I had working with such a unique population taught me that each person brings value regardless of life experiences. No one person has a greater value than another. Each person is to be respected and honored, no matter how divergent the view. There’s growth and opportunity to learn a varied perspective.”

Fitzsimons-Bula said she has a masters degree in social work with focuses in policy and graduated from the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work with the University of Connecticut. She works as a social worker for a nonprofit that supports and advocates for youth who have experienced crises.

“My primary experience has been working directly with kids and families navigating complex state systems and really trying to support them,” she said. “I’m really passionate about looking at a child and the family as a whole and how can we further build up Bristol for all students to really achieve academic excellence while also supporting social and emotional needs.”

Former commissioner, Vibert, said she had served on the board for around 15 years.

“One of the major highlights that I can think of is getting our district on community eligibility provision which provides free breakfast and lunch for all students,” she said. “There is a significant amount of poverty in Bristol and students where the families are just a little bit over the line and wouldn’t qualify for free food. There’s no stigma attached now because everybody is getting it.”

Vibert said she felt the board had also put Bristol Public Schools in a position of continued success under the leadership of Dr. Catherine Carbone.

“It’s made a big difference,” she said.

One of the biggest challenges she thinks facing Connecticut’s school districts is making certain teachers are compensated fairly.

“The school district is an integral part of the city and it impacts so many things. It impacts your house value and the city itself,” she said.

Vibert said she resigned from the board because she and her husband were moving out of Bristol as they had found a “dream house.” As she leaves BPS, she also lauded the work of former colleague Wilson for his many years in leadership on the board.

Of some highlights in his time on the board, Wilson said he was happy to see the renovation and creation of the new Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School.

“I think it’s a great benefit to the district,” he said. “We’ve focused on sports and maybe not given as much attention to the arts so it’s nice to get a themed magnet school focused on the arts.”

The former commissioner joined the Bristol Public Schools Board of Education in 2003 and was its chair for three twoyear terms.

Wilson noted the pandemic had perhaps been one of the district’s most challenging time periods but also one where it excelled over other districts throughout the state. He also said bringing Bristol’s current superintendent on board had been a high point for the school system.

“I think Bristol has done a really good job of meeting our students’ needs and working toward our goals,” he said.

Wilson said he hasn’t figured out quite what his next chapter in life will be like but he looks forward to finding it. He said with new board leadership, he felt it was time to step aside and let the board move in a new direction.