Redisctricting Recommendations

Monday night, the last meeting of the Board of Ed's Ad Hoc Feasibility Committee met to finalize recommendations to the Board on redistricting. If you'd like to see/hear the presentation to the Board of Ed, come to the meeting tonight at the Council Chambers at City Hall at 7 pm. If you can't make it, it should be on Public Access, but you never know.

Recommendations are (PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THESE HAVE NOT BEEN VOTED ON OR APPROVED):

1.a) The Attendance Boundaries will be changed for every elementary school. The board will get a spreadsheet showing the new capacities including free and reduced lunch percentages, minority percentages, special education percentages, maps and streets.

1.b) In addition, the current 4th grade students will be allowed to stay at their current schools, providing they provide their own transportation and inform the administration of their decision by no later than June 30, 2010, and if space is available.

1.c) The Board of Ed establish a committee to continue a review of the JCJ report to make future recommendations as they may apply to such items as magnet school, disparities, facility development, etc…

1.d) Recommend that the board direct the administration to meet with administrators and other appropriate parties to develop guidelines for each schools for welcoming students and families affected by redistricting.

2) The committee acknowledges that the decision to move Preschool to Snow School was a district decision made before the committee began its work.

3) Recommend that the board hold a special meeting to vote on the recommendations with a public hearing before March 23rd.


View Attendance Boundaries in a larger map

As a member of the committee, I worked for the priorities of the North End, as established in a community meeting held at Macdonough School in December, where over 100 people were in attendance. Those priorities were:

1) That as many North End children be able to attend Macdonough as possible
2) That those who cannot attend (overcrowding concerns) be districted to a school that is logical and convenient.
3) That Macdonough School change as little as possible (magnet schools were in discussion at that time)
4) That 5th graders be allowed to stay and graduate at their current school.

I believe we came as close as we could to fulfilling these priorities. The recommendation right now includes sending 80% of the neighborhood to Macdonough, with the exception of Main St., Rapallo Ave, deKoven Dr., Green St and Ferry St, which are recommended to attend Farm Hill.

I voted to make Macdonough a school of choice so that ALL North End kids would have the ability to lottery into Macdonough, but the committee did not think that was best for the district as it did not guarantee compliance with racial balance laws.

You can email or call the NEAT office if you have any concerns or questions. I'm happy to help people craft speeches to the board of ed or just help you understand how this will impact your family.

Our phone number is: 860-346-4845 or email at neat@neatmiddletown.org

Izzi Greenberg