The June 18, 2025, Board of Education Regular Meeting was the last Board meeting for our Superintendent, Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez. Board of Education Chairperson, Jennifer Hockenhull led the meeting and fellow Board members in a moving farewell tribute:
I want to take a moment to acknowledge that this will be Dr. Torres-Rodriguez’s last official Hartford Board of Education meeting as our Superintendent.
Tonight, we gather with deep appreciation to honor a leader whose impact on Hartford Public Schools will be felt for generations—our Superintendent, Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez.
Dr. Torres-Rodriguez’s journey is one of full-circle inspiration. A proud graduate of Hartford Public Schools, she returned not only to serve, but to transform. Her leadership has always been rooted in her lived experience, her deep love for this city, and her unwavering belief in the promise of public education.
Since becoming superintendent in 2017, Dr. Torres-Rodriguez has led with vision, compassion, and a fierce commitment to equity. She guided our district through some of its most challenging moments, including a global pandemic, and did so with transparency, resilience, and grace.
She often reminded us—again and again—that our work is about our “beautiful and capable students.” That phrase wasn’t just a slogan. It was a call to action. A reminder that every decision, every policy, every budget line must center the needs, dreams, and potential of our young people.
Under her leadership:
Graduation rates steadily improved,
Community Schools expanded to become vital hubs of support for families,
And a bold, community-informed 10-year plan was launched to guide the district’s future.
She also navigated over $140 million in budget deficits with strategic foresight, always protecting the classroom and advocating fiercely for our students and staff.
Dr. Torres-Rodriguez, your legacy is not only in the numbers—it’s in the lives you’ve touched, the educators you’ve empowered, and the students you’ve inspired. You have shown us what it means to lead with both head and heart.
On behalf of the Hartford Board of Education, thank you for your decade of dedicated service. We wish you continued success in your next chapter, and we know that wherever you go, you will continue to be a champion for equity, education, and for all beautiful and capable students.
You will always have a home here in Hartford.
-- Jennifer Hockenhull, Chairperson, Hartford Board of Education