Schools

Supt. Unveils Plan to Move 5th Graders to Middle School, Create 9th Elementary School

Plan also calls for King Building to eventually become ninth elementary school and to start accepting kindergarten students in August 2014.

Framingham Superintendent of School Stacy Scott unveiled a re-organization plan for the Framingham Schools to deal with overcrowding at the elementary school level at the Tuesday night School Committee meeting.

The plan, which he called "Project LEAP" - Leading Edge for Achievement Program in the district, would have current fourth and fifth grade students at just Brophy and McCarthy Elementary School moving to Fuller Middle School in the fall.

All other current fourth grade students would complete their fifth grade year at their current elementary school.

Scott, who said he has made a video to describe his Project LEAP and will post it on the district's website sometime today, Oct. 2, said there is not enough room in the district's middle schools to take on all the fifth graders.

The plan, unveiled to School Committee members during the Superintendent's Report after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, calls for the King Building to begin accepting kindergarten students in the fall of 2014.  

The King building, on Water Street, currently is the district's administration building. It used to be the preschool program until That B.L.O.C.K.S program moved to the former Juniper Hill School last year. 

Scott said the King Building would have 5 kindergarten classrooms next fall and add four additional kindergarten classrooms each year.

The students would stay at King, making it the district's ninth elementary school; and in 4-5 years, the students would attend middle school at Fuller.
King is located down the street from Hemenway Elementary School.

Scott told the School Committee that a consultant's report on the growing school district gave three options - add modular classrooms (Hemenway has a couple), rent a building or the third option Scott unveiled Tuesday night.

Scott said the first two options were too expensive.

Brophy Elementary and McCarthy Elementary schools are both designated as level 3 schools by the state. McCarthy was just downgraded to level 3 last month. Fuller Middle is also a level 3 school.

Scott said the plan would give the district an opportunity to improve the schools, as well as deal with a space crunch.

"This is exciting to us," said Scott. "It solves our space issue" but also "gives us opportunity."

Scott said at Fuller he would "build upon the STEM (Science, Math, Engineering and Technology) initiative" at the middle school. Students in the pilot program have a STEM component one-third of the school year.

Scott also mentioned creating an innovative "hands-on" program of learning for the new kindergarten students at King.

Scott specifically said his "LEAP program" would help Framingham Schools "leap into the future." It would give every student "hands-on exploratory learning."

Scott told the School Committee he will have an FAQ about the proposed plan on the school's website (www.framingham.k12.ma.us) sometime Wednesday (today). He said he also made videos to explain his plan and those will post on the website, too.

He mentioned the district would create a survey and said the district may consider creating a Facebook page to generate discussion.

"We want to make sure we are using the latest and greatest to communicate" with the community said Scott.

The district is "out of space"and "needs a new elementary school," said Scott. This plan would "solve two problems with one solution" by creating a "new elementary and 5-8 school simultaneously."

"We think we have vetted all the options," said Scott.

School Committee members, who spoke Tuesday night, supported the plan.
 
School Committee Chair Beverly Hugo called the plan "exciting."

School Committee Member Donald Taggart said this is why he wanted to run for School Committee to be involved in building a "solid program." He too described the plan as "exciting."

School Committee member Andy Limeri said "initial reaction ... this is exciting."

School Committee member Eric Silverman said "we should view this as an opportunity to come together and move the district forward ... exciting moment for the district."

Only School Committee member Heather Connolly has a child who would be affected by the proposed plan. Her youngest is a student at Brophy Elementary School. The other School Committee members do not have any children at Brophy or McCarthy nor a child preparing to enter kindergarten.

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