The School Committee took two votes with long-term significance on Thursday, Dec. 17:
— Based on a consultant’s fresh look at enrollment numbers, the committee endorsed pursuing a permanent, six-classroom addition to the Thompson School; and
— Following previous stalemates over the issue, members voted to support moving to PARCC testing and away from MCAS;
For Thompson, the $20 million East Arlington school opened in 2013, the committee voted after learning new enrollment projections from demographer Jerome McKibben. He had been asked to review numbers reported last June after actual numbers reported in October showed a small decline.
With enrollments at Thompson and Hardy both approaching 500, Superintendent Kathleen Bodie reported, the committee moved to pursue a permanent addition.
Committee Chair Paul Schlichtman said he favors a permanent addition that would “last years.” He called on Siobhan Foley, a third-grade teacher at Thompson and teachers’ union vice president, for her view, and she said she supports a permanent addition.
Addition recommendation has ironies
The vote was 5-0-1, with Kirsi Allison-Ampe abstaining. She said had not had enough time to review McKibben’s new numbers. Cindy Starks was absent.
Allison-Ampe explained Dec. 18: “I wanted to have a chance to look at them to make sure I agree that we do not have a townwide overcrowding problem which would imply a different solution (example: pull all 5th grades and create a 5-6 school and a 7-8 school).”
The addition, potentially using one of the classrooms as an auxiliary gym space, would take 18 to 24 months to build.
The school enrollment task force is expected to discuss the recommended addition at its 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5, in the Lyons Room, second floor, at Town Hall. The Dec. 22 meeting was canceled, because a number of members would be absent.
The move to a permanent addition has its ironies. In early 2011 and before, the plan for Thompson was much larger, including nine classrooms, and the cost was projected at $27 million. But an $6.5 million override vote loomed that year, and at the time enrollment appeared stable — two of the reasons that the project was cut back at the time.
In the short term, discussion of modular classrooms remains in play. Action of that issue is expected at the Jan. 25 Special Town Meeting.
Among related suggestions discussed at the Dec. 17 School Committee meeting was altering the buffer zones for Thompson and Hardy to allow for more administrative flexibility.
McKibben returns to explain
At the Friday, Dec. 18, meeting of the schools’ Facilities Committee, McKibben explained his new numbers. That data and his written justifications for them are here >>
In November, Bodie presented the Oct. 1 enrollment numbers to the School Committee showing elementary-school enrollment differed from McKibben’s forecasts by about 100 fewer students.
Twenty people listened Dec. 18, some of them skeptically. Among those asking questions were Charlie Foskett, Capitol Planning Committee chairman, and Stephen Harrington, Precinct 13 Town Meeting member. The former appeared to be satisfied with the answers he got; the latter, who crossed swords with McKibben over numbers in October, did not.
The new numbers show the elementary population at 2,924 in 2015-16, projected to peak in 2020-21 at 3,054, and then tailing off.
The new totals for all students prekindergarten through grade 12 are 5,304 for 2015-16, continuing to rise each year to 5,994 in 2025-26. In 2010-11, total was 4,808. That 15-year period shows an expected rise of 1,186 students.
The revisions reduced some of the elementary projections, but enrollment continues to showed expected increases in East Arlington.
Related links
Dec. 14, 2015: Variety of views offered as task force grapples with growth
Enrollment community group (started by Thomson parents)
Moving ahead with PARCC
Following serious debate since June 2014 about whether to stay with MCAS or go with PARCC as the district’s standardized test, the committee voted, 6-0, to pursue PARCC, which stands for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers.
Two previous voted had been ties.
Appearing to help break the logjam were comments from Linda Hanson, president of the Arlington Education Association, who reflected the view of teachers: The majority are ready to choose PARCC and are seeking a two-year break in having the tests count.
Before the vote supporting Bodie’s recommendation to back PARCC, Schlichtman sought views — from some administrators.
Hardy Principal Kristin DeFrancisco, who presented the 2015-16 budget needs from principals, said she favors a test drive of PARCC.
Matt Colman, the K-12 math coordinator, said, “MCAS has run its course.”
Member Bill Hayner said he remained in a “slight quandary.” The retired teacher accepted that the move to the test is important, but “I’m not exactly sure what we’re testing.”
Member Jud Pierce said that it mattered to him how teachers and administrators viewed the issue. “Going to PARCC would serve as a bit of a break,” he said. He urged members to sign on to legislation allowing parents to opt out.
Member Kirsi Allison-Ampe read a lengthy statement summing up her concerns, including those about PARCC. She said she felt it is “more stressful for students if we stick with MCAS now.” Read the full statement here >>
She made clear she is upset by lack of discussion with parents of testing options.
Member Jeff Thielman praised the process through which the committee reached its decision. He wanted to know about testing on paper as compared with online. He expressed concern about students’ readiness for the online test.
Schlichtman, who manages test results in his day job for Lowell Public Schools, has favored online PARCC for some time. He said he expected to let educators make decision about whether to use paper or online.
Following the vote, the committee agreed with Allison-Ampe’s motion to have the committee chairman speak on the School Committee’s behalf in response to any public messages about PARCC.
Related link
Nov. 22, 2015: Anxiety, déjà vu grip School Committee testing discussion
This report was published Monday, Dec. 21, 2015.
