Schools

Parents Submit Petition with 500+ Signatures Against Project LEAP

Parents continue to speak out against a grade reconfiguration plan to move fifth grade students from Brophy and McCarthy Elementary only to the middle school level.

In just one week's time, parents unhappy with Framingham Superintendent Stacy Scott's Project LEAP grade reconfiguration plan to move fifth grade students from just two of the town's eight elementary schools to Fuller Middle School, collected more than 500 signatures against the proposed project.

Parents presented the signatures to the Superintendent and the Framingham School Committee at the Committee's meeting Tuesday night.

"Since we learned about this proposal just about a month ago, we have had conversations with many people about putting some of Framingham's fifth graders into middle school .... Everyone agrees on one thing ... fifth graders should be with other children who are the same level emotionally, academically and socially. They belong in an elementary setting," said parent Will Montano, who presented the petition with 547 signatures. "Those who signed are asking you not to send the McCarthy and Brophy fifth graders to middle school."

More than a half dozen parents also spoke against the Project LEAP plan at the start of the School Committee meeting.

"Ultimately, we are all here because we care about the children of Framingham 
and doing what is best for them. As a PTO President, a fellow educator, a 
resident of Framingham and, most importantly, as a parent of two children who 
will be directly affected by this proposal I ask you to reconsider moving the 5th
graders into the middle school and find another solution that will better serve the teachers, the students and the families in Framingham," said Heather Smith, who has two children at McCarthy Elementary School.

"Please try to come up with an option for all students," said McCarthy parent Shelia Gaglione.

"This plan does not ensure equity across the district," said parent Mary Rosen, as only 25 percent of the town's fifth graders will move to the middle school level and not 100 percent of the fifth graders.

Rosen said fifth graders have more in common with third and fourth grade students than sixth, seventh or eighth grade students.

"It is the duty of the superintendent and the (Framingham) School Committee to ensure every student has an equitable and valuable education experience," said Rosen, who said moving Brophy and McCarthy fifth graders to Fuller Middle "does not show equity."

Scott has said his plan is a 5-year temporary fix to deal with a space crunch at the elementary school level. Eventually, the Framingham School Administration is hoping to renovate Fuller and re-open the former Farley School next door as a long term solution to the overcrowding.

But parents have concerns with adding 5th grade students to a building in need of repairs and that will be under construction for several years.

"One of the concerns is the effect of the construction that will go on to build the 
new Fuller school. For multiple years and on a daily basis, the Fuller building will be filled with children who will have to deal with the loud noise and other  distractions that are caused by a large construction project. With the building  being close to capacity under this proposal, there will be very little option for 
swing space within the building. This will inhibit the option to allow for learning to happen in areas of the building not affected by repairs and construction," wrote parent Kristin Milan to school administration, and read by Brophy parent patty Ames Tuesday night. "As we know, Brophy has a high percentage of English language learners and McCarthy has many with learning disabilities. I fear that the noise, distraction and potential safety issues will interfere with their learning. This also leads us to an inequitable situation. I do not believe these students will be getting the same education as the students at the other elementary and middle schools in the district."

McCarthy Elementary School parent and elected Framingham Town Meeting member Mark McClennan spoke before the School Committee again to "raise concerns about the proposed move of McCarthy/Brophy 5th
grade to Fuller as part of an impractical, ill-advised, temporary solution."

McClennan, who as a Town Meeting member would vote on the school budget and as a Ways & Means Committee member, would review the school's fiscal plans, highlighted three financial issues with Project LEAP.

"First, in reviewing Dr. Scott’s planned numbers, they still do not add up and are not complete and that is of great concern to me as a parent, taxpayer and Town Meeting member," said McClennan.

"The plan is to increase Fuller’s student population by more than 30 percent. Currently, 33 percent-plus of McCarthy students are getting specialized services. That includes speech, OT, PT, Resource room and paraprofessionals. Yet his (Scott) proposed budget does not call for any new professionals in those areas. So either the plan is saying the Fuller professionals in this area were overstaffed by 33 percent and can handle a major influx, or we are putting our special needs and LD children at a place where services will be more stretched than they are 
today," continued McClennan.

"In reviewing his planned 5-year budget, there are some inaccuracies. The salaries they do not include steps or COLAs for five years, which means they are inaccurate. It is tough to make an informed decision without accurate financial numbers which may make other options better than proposal. As of now, his numbers don’t add up," said McClennan.

"The LEAP report talks about concerns over Least Restrictive Environment. But it doesn’t take it fully to its logical conclusion. The way things are today have not been challenged. But if we follow the plan of segregating the 5th inclusion, sub-separate or just IEP students compared to 75 percent of their peers in the system. That opens us up to significant risk," said McClennan.

"My other concern revolves around Bullying. We are arbitrarily exposing 25 percent of fifth graders to a different environment than their peers in town. An environment when they will be with people much older than them. If just one case of serious bullying happens due to this decision, then we are exposing our children and our town to serious emotional and fiscal risk that more than offsets any potential savings," said McClennan.

Scott answered parents concerns during Tuesday's meeting, as part of his superintendent's report.

"We will not ignore issues like least restricted environment," said Scott.

"We will not put students in a building that we don't think is safe," said Scott.

But Scott basically told parents it is full "STEAM" ahead for his Project LEAP, which will put an emphasis on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) at Fuller and open a much-needed ninth elementary school in Framingham at the current King Administration building.

"My recommendation to the (school) committee will be to continue with the initial proposal," said Scott. "To shift the fifth graders and to build the (ninth) elementary school."

"I wish this was easier," said Scott, who again told parents most of the suggested alternatives they have proposed have been reviewed and ruled out.

He told parents we will be "very careful and monitor impact that this will have on staff." And that budgeting is being reviewed and that "services travel from one building to another with the student."

"I am aware of the unpopularity of the proposal," said Scott who later in the meeting laid down a budget timeline, which included voting on the next school year budget and approving the Project LEAP by mid-March.

On Nov. 19, the Framingham School Committee plans to hold a workshop and discuss the Project LEAP proposal. 


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