In June 2012, the School Committee hired TBA Architects, an outside consultant, to conduct a space utilization study of the elementary schools. The report concluded that classroom space is adequate in most cases but that space is tight in the specialist and common areas of Happy Hollow.
For TBA’s complete reports click here.

Looking forward, enrollment at the elementary level is projected to go down. However, in the current school year, we experienced a spike at certain grades, particularly in kindergarten and in the third grade at Claypit Hill.

In order to be prepared should these enrollment spikes continue, the superintendent recommended putting in place a Task Force. The Task Force was comprised of the following members:

• Three current parents, one from each elementary school
• Three community members, one from each of the three elementary school districts as they were previously constituted
• Three teachers
• Three elementary principals
• Three central office administrators, including the superintendent, assistant superintendent and the director of student services
• One School Committee member

The charge of the Task Force was to identify options and priorities regarding the utilization of elementary space, and conduct a cost-benefit analysis for each option to ensure an equitable, high quality educational program for all students.

In February 2013, the Task Force recommended to the superintendent three options for future utilization of elementary space.

1. K-5 Option, where each of the three buildings would house students in grades kindergarten to 5, within its geographic catchment area
2. Lower Elementary Option, where Loker would house all kindergarten and grade 1 students, and Happy Hollow and Claypit Hill would each house students in grades 2 to 5
3. Upper Elementary Option, where one school would house all grade 4 and 5 students and the remaining two buildings would each house students in grades kindergarten to 3.

For more information regarding the Task Force’s work, go online.

At its meeting on March 11, the School Committee agreed the superintendent should continue to work with a Task Force to further evaluate these three options, seeking more public input with the goal of creating a more detailed cost-benefit analysis and recommending the preferred option to the superintendent this coming fall. We would like to be clear that no changes will take place this coming September 2013. A change will only occur if it is deemed necessary, and the earliest date of such a change would be the fall of 2014.

The School Committee encourages the community to continue to be a part of this process. Opportunities for providing your feedback will be communicated as we move forward. We always appreciate hearing from you.

Thank you for your support.
The members of the School Committee are Barb Fletcher (chairwoman), Beth Butler (vice chairwoman), Malcolm Astley, Ellen Grieco and Shawn Kinney.