By Jarret Liotta
The Board of Education (BOE) tonight heard the latest scenario options for redistricting, but at least one member sought to assure the public this was not an imminent decision.
Consultant Michael Zuba tonight highlights one of the new redistricting scenarios. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
“This is all very preliminary,” said Jeannie Smith, BOE vice chair.
“There are so many variables that are unknown at this point,” she said, in particular the viability of relocating the Stepping Stones preschool that is currently housed at Coleytown Elementary School (CES) to another building.
Still, dozens of parents were in attendance and applauded comments by one parent urging the BOE to put off any further redistricting discussions and decisions until after Coleytown Middle School (CMS) reopens and a new permanent superintendent of schools is in place.
The two latest scenarios presented by representatives of consultant Milone & MacBroom each suggested redistricting lines that did not cut as close to Bedford Middle School (BMS) itself as before.
This would allow children in those adjacent neighborhoods the chance to walk to BMS, which at least remedies one complaint expressed by many parents at last week’s BOE meeting regarding earlier scenarios.
“We’re really preserving those walking neighborhoods,” said Michaek Zuba, planning director.
The BOE remains between a rock and a hard place on the issue of redistricting, however, with enrollment numbers declining and the cost and equity of maintaining two four-teacher teaching teams at each middle school a precarious feat without rebalancing.
While school officials have urged the BOE to move quickly to at least draw up a plan, as the potential impact to individual households has been considered by more and more parents, they have become increasingly disturbed and outspoken in their opposition.
The BOE tonight entertained a presentation from BMS principal Adam Rosen and CMS principal Kris Szabo as well. They spoke in detail about why they want to see four-teacher teaching teams maintained.
“It’s what we’ve enjoyed for many years,” Rosen said, “and it’s what I think most parents would expect for their children coming up to middle school.”
“It’s something we’ve advocated for many years,” BOE member Elaine Whitney said.
“On the whole it’s clear that the four-teacher team makes sense,” BOE member Neil Phillips said.
“Decreasing enrollment is our biggest challenge right now,” Szabo said. He explained that as team sizes get smaller it handcuffs options with regard to scheduling, particularly for math and world language classes, some of which may only have a few students.
The latest redistricting scenarios — respectively dubbed 8b and 8c — each call for around 25% of the town’s elementary population to be redistricted, as well as around 12% of middle school students.
Each scenario includes relocating Stepping Stones to another building.
While Milone & MacBroom had originally hoped to gain 113 spaces at CES with that move, Zuba said more detailed work done by an additional architectural consultant has found that there would be 158 spaces made available.
“Within the next year or two the district is going to have to make some decisions about Stepping Stones because it’s running out of space,” Superintendent of Schools David Abbey said.
“The number of students that we serve through Stepping Stones has gone up considerably over the last several years,” he said, “and it doesn’t show signs of abating.”
BOE member Karen Kleine said she would like to see options explored for the best place to move the preschool, rather than just assuming it would go to Long Lots School.
“It’s become something like a foregone conclusion,” she said.
Zuba said more professional data was needed to decide which the best facility would be.
“The architect is coming to the Board of Ed on Oct. 7,” Abbey said, noting there was no “preordained position” for the relocation.
Smith said the BOE would need to explore more details on the move itself, including potential costs and general viability, again assuring parents that they were far from making any decisions.
“I’m just trying to bring ease to the community,” she said.
