By Jarret Liotta
With no viable rental facility forthcoming to house a sixth grade “academy,” Superintendent of Schools Colleen Palmer recommends making Westport’s elementary schools K-6 next year.
The five elementary principals give a presentation on how they can make K-6 elementary schools work. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
The Board of Education (BOE) heard the reasons why in another lengthy meeting Monday night, which included a presentation by the five principals of Coleytown (CES), Greens Farms (GFS), Kings Highway (KHS), Long Lots (LLS) and Saugatuck (SES) Elementary Schools on how they would make it work.
All this came as something of a surprise to at least two board members, who said they had expected this night’s meeting to focus on hearing about a rental property for the sixth grade “academy” that they thought was going to be secured.
While the BOE had scheduled a possible vote on the facilities utilization question, which has been hotly debated for the past six weeks, it opted to postpone for another week, citing this barrage of new information, which it felt they and the community at large needed time to digest.
These details included a hastily prepared statement from the co-presidents of the Westport Education Association, who expressed their shock at the K-6 plan based on what they said was a complete lack of teacher involvement.
“This is a drastic revamping of the sixth grade program and we were never even consulted,” said John Horrigan, co-president, noting that messages from sixth grade teachers were sent to them during the presentation expressing shock “that not only are they being forced to move but are also being told to teach an extra 200 minutes per week.”
“That concerns me a lot,” said member Vik Muktavaram, who voiced that he felt “backed into a corner” to have to approve this option.
Members of the public address board members. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
“I think it would be a mischaracterization to say we haven’t gotten input,” said Palmer, explaining that contract details would be discussed after the board gave the go-ahead.
She noted that in meetings sixth grade teachers had expressed a desire to stay together as a group, as they are finding value in current collaboration at Bedford Middle School (BMS).
“There was feedback that was received,” Anthony Buono, assistant superintendent of schools, said of some sixth grade teachers, also noting that there was “really none” from teachers at the current elementary level.
The K-6 proposal would necessitate adding two additional portable classrooms to CES, three to LLS, two to SES, and have two at KHS renovated. Palmer estimated it would cost roughly $730,000 the first year, and $530,000 the second.
By comparison, the option of putting grades six through eight at BMS for a districtwide middle school would result in a total savings of $490,000 per year, as reduction in staff due to closing Coleytown Middle School (CMS) and estimated declining enrollment would bring about a savings of $850,000.
The K-6 plan would also result in a savings via staff cuts to the tune of $700,000, but this would be deducted from an estimated overall cost of $1.4 million for the first year of operation.
The plan would also result in less art and physical education time for all students in an effort to increase in language arts and math time for sixth grade students.
Kate Coykendol, 10, a fifth grader at Kings Highway School, tells the Board of Education why she wants to go to a sixth grade academy. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
“It is one of the changes that some may feel is a challenge to this proposed model,” said SES principal Elizabeth Messler, who noted there would also be some sacrifices in terms of teachers — and programs — sharing space.
Palmer said the details were still open to change, but that given low performance scores in sixth grade, it was on the district’s mind to increase math and language arts instruction time at that grade level and this would add 60 minutes per week.
“There may be further adjustments,” she said.
“This plan is a result of collaboration … Everybody has had a hand in helping and putting this together,” said KHS principal Mary Lou DiBella, who called it “a very viable option.”
“We are committed to making a K-6 model work,” said LLS principal Debra Dunn.
Muktavaram raised the question of whether any more time could be taken to see if finding a suitable facility for a sixth-grade “academy” — something others, including Palmer, called their first choice — was an option.
“We’ve been very aggressive,” Palmer said of the rental search, expressing doubt it could happen within the next month.
She expressed concern that her staff was worn thin by this entire process and that it was becoming untenable to keep at it much longer. Likewise, she said, many staff members didn’t know what their future would look like, depending on the option chosen, and deserved an answer sooner than later.
“We really are at a point where we need to focus on one pathway,” Palmer said.
Westport Education Association co-presidents Karen DeFelice and John Horrigan share a quickly prepared statement in opposition to the K-6 plan, which they said was prepared with no teacher input. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jarret Liotta for WestportNow.com
“At this point we’re being sort of backed into that option,” Muktavaram said, noting that in his estimation some kind of limited redistricting was warranted in order to make it work successfully.
A range of public comments were heard by the board, including support of various options, calls to focus more attention on getting CMS back online, and various criticisms of the board’s handling of the crisis.
“I’m more frustrated with the whole process at this point,” said Sue Calger, who served on the Community Advisory Committee.
“Some of you seem to have already made up your mind,” said Robert Earls, urging the board to hear public reaction this week before deciding.
Michelle Benner said all three options — going K-6, a townwide 6-8 middle school, and a rented facility for a sixth-grade “academy” — are all options the town should be striving to avoid.
“I’m really surprised the issue of getting CMS back on line has been marginalized,” she said, noting that it was “confounding” why a second architect has not been consulted to look at the options there.
“There are parts of all three options that I don’t like,” said Chairman Mark Mathias, who said he was struggling to reconcile conflicting information he was hearing from different sources.
“I think there’s going to be ambiguity with whatever we pick,” he said, but stressed this had to be looked as an interim solution.
“This interim solution needs to be done and we need to get on with it,” he said.
