NORWICH – On Monday, Nov. 4, concerned parents and faculty alike gathered to discuss the future of the newly established Purple Tornado Community Team (PTCT).

PTCT President Joanne Stafford addressed attendants with a presentation intended to create discussion and a brainstorming of ideas on how the group could raise funding as quickly as possible.

"We've started out small, but we really want to push forward and move on with building this new organization into a success for the students,” Stafford said. “I have been encouraged by a number of parents and faculty to run with this idea.”

Stafford explained that the group – formerly the Norwich City School District's PTA – would be dissolving its membership with the PTA and how it would affect the functionality of its operation.

One of the most substantial changes between the PTA and PTCT is the absence of regulatory guidelines that the new, local organization will have to abide by, which in turn, allows the PTCT more freedom to tailor the day-to-day operations as needed.

Also, with the enactment of the new PTCT, dues will not be collected for membership as was the case for the former PTA, which according to Stafford, will make community involvement more likely.