CLAREMONT — The School Board agreed Thursday night to put on hold, for now, the proposed restructuring of the city’s three elementary schools because of objections and questions raised by parents, according to board Chairman Frank Sprague.
“We are going to hold off on elementary school restructuring and focus on instruction and curriculum that can affect student achievement,” Sprague said. “We see the benefits (of the restructuring plan) but parental concerns are real. That is why we did not go forward.”
The plan proposed to change the current configuration of three pre-K-5 schools in Claremont and instead make each school grade-specific. Maple Avenue would be pre-K through first grade; Bluff second and third grade; and Disnard fourth and fifth.
When Superintendent Mike Tempesta introduced the plan to move away from neighborhood schools at a School Board meeting in January 2020, parents and others raised objections immediately. A focus group including several parents was then formed to research and discuss the concerns but it met only twice before being disbanded because of the onset of COVID-19. The proposal was also withdrawn at that time. However, several questions were developed and presented by the group.
“They have not addressed our questions; just acknowledged them,” Michelle Beaton, a member of the group and the parent of two elementary-aged children, said before the board met on Thursday.
Another parent, Zadiah Eisenberg, who was also a member of the focus group, said she doesn’t believe the administration and School Board are responding to parents’ worries.
“My concern really is that the process lacks clarity, transparency and evidence,” Eisenberg said, also before the School Board meeting. “The community believes it is being pushed through.”
Eisenberg said that to gain support of the community, the restructuring plan must address several concerns, including whether different grade or school configurations were ever considered and why this was chosen; what problems the restructuring is proposing to solve and what has been done previously to try to solve those problems; and data supporting concerns about equity for all students at the elementary level.
Transportation has been a central issue for many opponents because some families might have children at two or three different schools, which right now have the same drop-off and pickup times.
In his proposal, Tempesta identified several benefits to restructuring, including universal pre-K at age 4. He also said having all students from each grade in the same building would eliminate inequities that may exist in the current structure, and allow for better control of classroom size, targeted curriculum and assessments.
Sprague remains a supporter of the proposal but acknowledged that there must be more details on solving the busing issue as well as addressing questions raised by the focus group. He said the School Board has not dismissed the idea of restructuring but will spend the coming year working to improve student achievement.
“Let’s do what we can right now,” he said. “We need to get going on what can make a difference immediately.
“We can reevaluate student achievement in a year, and if we still don’t see improvements, it might be time to look at restructuring again.”
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
