Change in grade structure should not be rushed, educators say

MIDDLEBORO — Educators and residents urge the Middleboro School Committee to take more time before making any changes to the grade structure at the town’s elementary schools.

A potential plan to move grades one and two to Mary K. Goode School and three to five to Henry B Buckland School was presented at the March 4 School Committee meeting by Interim School Superintendent Michel Perrone.

Each school currently includes students in grades one to five, with its population based on where a student lives. The two schools are adjacent to each other. 

Committee Chair Jessica Chartoff said that the committee has three options: To make this change starting in September, to make it at a later time or not to make it all.

This change would allow all age groups to be in the same building and ease the transition into middle school, which Nichols Middle School principal Timothy McLaughlin said would be an asset to students.

Incoming sixth graders often express concern that they don’t know half of their new classmates, McLaughlin said. If students are “emotionally and socially successful, that’s going to lead to academic success,’’ he said. The change, he said, would have "nothing but a positive impact on our students.’’

Two Nichols Middle School students, Chloe Weatherbee and Silvia English, spoke in favor of the change, with Weatherbee noting the new structure would bring “less trauma and more opportunities for friendships.’’

But audience members who spoke agreed almost unanimously that the decision was too significant to rush and many questioned whether any reconfiguration was needed at all.

“Being a small fish in a big pond’’ would not benefit students who would see their grade population nearly double, said Donna Germano, Middleboro Education Association co-president.

Smaller school communities, she said, create “stronger sense of belonging,’’ she said. The proposed change would make “connections more difficult.’’

A September start date would be “far too rushed,’’ Burkland teacher Alyssa Beird said, and would “leave a lot of unanswered questions.’’

“These are big decisions that impact thousands of students,’’ Beird added.

Several speakers noted that the district is already in a state of transition, with the search for a new superintendent in the very early stages.

Working on the reconfiguration issue would be a “great task for a new superintendent to take on and investigate,’’ committee member Allin Frawley said. This would allow the superintendent to meet people, he noted, and share conversations on the topic.

He and fellow committee member Christopher Benson agreed that a September change would be too soon. “Let’s do this one step at a time and get leadership in place,’’ Benson said.

The topic is scheduled to be discussed again at the March 12 meeting.