MERIDEN, Conn. — As students and staff in Meriden returned to the classroom Wednesday, the city's school superintendent was on a district-wide tour, visiting all 15 schools in just seven hours.

It was a packed schedule for Superintendent Mark Benigni, but an important one to kick off the school year.

"It's opening day, you have to hit every school," said Benigni on one of his stops.

The superintendent made time to discuss several topics that are top of mind for him, including staff shortages, challenges from a recent immigration incident and efforts to increase diversity among educators.

After a year marked by staffing cuts due to expiring grants and budget constraints, Meriden is facing a significant number of vacancies. 51 classrooms remain unfilled, creating a hiring challenge th

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