Pelham Schools Study K-5 Reconfiguration[Poll]

Today, Pelham schools has four K-5 elementary schools organized to serve families in various neighborhoods in the district.

That won’t change this year. Next year, on the other hand, is a whole other matter.

The Pelham school board is studying the feasibility of redistributing elementary students to buildings based on grade level rather than geographic area. Dr. Dennis Lauro, superintendent of Pelham schools, said the study is being done because the district needs to make $1.7 million to $1.8 million in cuts next year due to the state’s 2-percent property tax cap.

“It’s too early in the game plan to start discounting anything,” Lauro said. “We’re dealing with the cap and I think we need to realize that this is different from earlier years. Everything is on the table.”

The reorganization, which could use variations of the Princeton or ‘paired’ school plans, might allow the district to save money by gaining efficiencies in its resources and equalizng class sizes. Lauro said the district will release its findings during the Jan. 9 school board meeting.

District officials are studying the following elementary school configurations:

• Creating two K-2 schools and two 3-5 schools. Colonial Elementary School would hold grades K-2 and get paired with the  Hutchinson Elementray School, which would hold grades 3-5. Siwanoy Elementary School would hold grades K-2 and get paired Prospect Hill Elementary School, which would hold grades 3-5.

• Creating two K-2 schools and two 3-5 schools. Colonial Elementary School would hold grades K-2 and get paired with Prospect Hill Elementary School, which would hold grades 3-5. Siwanoy Elementary School would hold grades K-2 and get paired the  Hutchinson Elementary School, which would hold grades 3-5. Students who lives in the northern section of the district would get place in one pairing, while students who lived in the southern section would get placed in the other.

• Placing kindergarten and some self-contained special education classes at Colonial, grades 1-2 at Prospect Hill, grades 3-4  at Hutchinson and grade 5 at Siwanoy.  

• Using a magnet school concept, where schools are set up around a specific theme like the arts or science, math and technology.  Students are selected for the program from a lottery, and enrollment is capped to equalize class size across the district.

A number of parents have already come forward to express their concerns regarding any possible changes to the configuration of the elementary schools.

Rachel Cullen, a Colonial school parent, created an online petition earlier this month asking the district not to reconfigure its elementary schools.

More than 280 people signed the petition as of Sunday.

“What I hope it will accomplish is that it shows the volume of the opposition against it,” Cullen said. “We understand that the budget process is going to be difficult, but this is not the solution.”

Cullen believes the plan will cause problems for parents who need to transport children longer distances.

She also said the neighborhood elementary schools are one of the reason many people choose to live in the community. Property values could decrease if the schools are reconfigured.

She also believes the changes would be shortsighted.

“Any changes that are instituted next fall will not be seamless,” Cullen said. “These changes are going to have a devastating long-term affect on the Pelham education system and I think we’re going to have the same budget problems in the following year.”

Cullen said that it might be in the district’s best interest to override the state property tax cap. The district would need to win a 60-percent majority in the budget vote next May in order to override the cap, according to state law.

She plans to present the petition to the district when it reaches about 500 signatures.

Lauro said the district would not make any changes unless there are hundreds of thousands of dollars worth in savings to be gained.

“We won’t do it if it’s not worth it,” Lauro said. “We’re not looking to upset the community.”