Dublin Core
Title
Maynard Regional School District Planning Committee
Report to the Town of Maynard - 1991
Report to the Town of Maynard - 1991
Description
The report is a summation of a possible regionalization of the Maynard Schools District with the Acton and Boxborough School Districts. The unification effort began in 1989 and ended in 1991. see PDF file for entire report
Planning Committee: Bob Geldart, John Meyn, Ernie Crocker, Linda Bretz, Jan Crail
Volunteer Members: Alice Weaver, Ann Pratt, Bob Brooks, Bob Coan, Brian Hannon, Debbie Sheridan, Diane Bruckert, Dottie Copeland, Ellen Nelson, Helen Curry, Janet Erb, Janet Greenquist, Janice Mancini, John Comella, Jucy Westgate, Karen Derby, Lois Cohen, Mary Brannelly, Paul Livingston, Pauline DeBarge, Vickery Trinkhaus-Randall, Karl Hilli, Ed Mullin, John Russo
Advisor (non-voting) members: Bill King, Meg Lalli, Eileen Ahearn, Don Cranson, Frank Hill, Bruce Pekkala, Jen Lucas, Katie McDonough, Ericka Rickel, Lisa Schleelein, Gary Farrow, Tom Konetzny
Planning Committee: Bob Geldart, John Meyn, Ernie Crocker, Linda Bretz, Jan Crail
Volunteer Members: Alice Weaver, Ann Pratt, Bob Brooks, Bob Coan, Brian Hannon, Debbie Sheridan, Diane Bruckert, Dottie Copeland, Ellen Nelson, Helen Curry, Janet Erb, Janet Greenquist, Janice Mancini, John Comella, Jucy Westgate, Karen Derby, Lois Cohen, Mary Brannelly, Paul Livingston, Pauline DeBarge, Vickery Trinkhaus-Randall, Karl Hilli, Ed Mullin, John Russo
Advisor (non-voting) members: Bill King, Meg Lalli, Eileen Ahearn, Don Cranson, Frank Hill, Bruce Pekkala, Jen Lucas, Katie McDonough, Ericka Rickel, Lisa Schleelein, Gary Farrow, Tom Konetzny
Creator
Maynard Regional School District Planning Committee
Date
1991-05
Contributor
Donated by Bob Geldart
Identifier
2024.39
Document Item Type Metadata
Text
Excerpt: REGIONALIZATION: AN OVERVIEW
The Maynard High School student body has gone from 675 in 1972 to 255 in 1990. In the last three years, 24%, 34% and 42%, respectively, of the 8th graders at Fowler chose to go to ahigh school other than Maynard High. Most of those went to Assabet Valley Vocational School, but a significant number have chosen other public and private schools.
Smaller classes can mean amore personal educational setting, but the community has to be willing to financially support such small class sizes. At Maynard High this fall, 18 of the 91 academic classes had an enrollment of less than ten students, some as few as four. Without that financial support, other budget items (maintenance, staff development, capital outlay) may need to be cut to make up the difference. In fact, Maynard's per-pupil cost of education has been significantly above the state average for most of this decade; in 1989, it fell below the state average.
The issues of declining high school enrollment and rising school costs have been present in Maynard in the past. The question of regionalization is also not new and unique to this year. In the mid 1970's, Maynard briefly looked at the question of regionalization with Nashoba. Evidently, there wasn't enough support at the time and the question was dropped.
In 1987, the Maynard High Task Force On Declining Enrollment was formed to look at the problem of dealing with steadily declining numbers of students at the high school. The Committee stated some of the problems in the preface to its report:
"Larger schools will still be able to preserve most of their programs during this period [of declining enrollment], whereas schools as small as Maynard high School have many courses and programs that may not be able to be carried at all due to insufficient numbers.
"In bigger schools when numbers go down, most often the number of sections are reduced, but the variety of course offerings is still maintained. In schools the size of Maynard, that may have offered only one section to begin with, the course faces possible elimination. This situation occurs at the extremes the honors and basic levels usually, where numbers of sections offered in a small school are limited to begin with.
That Committee also pointed out two other problems: Scheduling in small schools is extremely difficult, and conflicts often force hard choices. And, since many of the sports and extra-curricular activities are looking to the same small pool of students for membership, students can easily overextend themselves.
In April 1989, asubcommittee of the Maynard School Committee was formed to look at the issue of regionalization and other options. At Town Meeting in November 1989, this subcommittee was reformed, according to state law, as the Maynard Regional School District Planning Committee, a Town Committee.
In May 1990, the Committee presented reports and recommendations to the School Committee on various options studied--distance learning (using TV, computer modems, and other technology), collaborative relationships with area schools, tuitioning students out, restructuring the grade levels, and keeping the system as it is and hoping for a commitment for suitable funding. The Regional Committee also recommended pursuing discussions and negotiations with Acton/Boxboro on regionalizing the schools.
Through the fall and winter of 1990, representatives of Maynard, Acton and Boxboro met to negotiate an amendment to the Acton/Boxboro Regional District agreement for the regionalization of the schools in the three towns from kindergarten through grade 12. That proposed amended agreement, which is
enclosed in this report, is what the voters of the town of Maynard will be asked to vote on by secret ballot at Town Meeting on May 20.
Additionally, each community's representatives felt that it would be prudent to have abackup option in the case that one of the other communities turned down the full K-12 agreement. In Maynard's case, this will take the form of aK-6 agreement between Maynard and Acton, and a7-12 agreement between Maynard, Acton and Boxboro.
The Maynard Regional School District Planning Committee supports a unified K-12 district as the best option for the education of Maynard's children; the backup plan accomplishes the same in a two part process. If you vote for the K-12 Region article, you should also vote for the second option, K-6 with 7-12.
The Maynard High School student body has gone from 675 in 1972 to 255 in 1990. In the last three years, 24%, 34% and 42%, respectively, of the 8th graders at Fowler chose to go to ahigh school other than Maynard High. Most of those went to Assabet Valley Vocational School, but a significant number have chosen other public and private schools.
Smaller classes can mean amore personal educational setting, but the community has to be willing to financially support such small class sizes. At Maynard High this fall, 18 of the 91 academic classes had an enrollment of less than ten students, some as few as four. Without that financial support, other budget items (maintenance, staff development, capital outlay) may need to be cut to make up the difference. In fact, Maynard's per-pupil cost of education has been significantly above the state average for most of this decade; in 1989, it fell below the state average.
The issues of declining high school enrollment and rising school costs have been present in Maynard in the past. The question of regionalization is also not new and unique to this year. In the mid 1970's, Maynard briefly looked at the question of regionalization with Nashoba. Evidently, there wasn't enough support at the time and the question was dropped.
In 1987, the Maynard High Task Force On Declining Enrollment was formed to look at the problem of dealing with steadily declining numbers of students at the high school. The Committee stated some of the problems in the preface to its report:
"Larger schools will still be able to preserve most of their programs during this period [of declining enrollment], whereas schools as small as Maynard high School have many courses and programs that may not be able to be carried at all due to insufficient numbers.
"In bigger schools when numbers go down, most often the number of sections are reduced, but the variety of course offerings is still maintained. In schools the size of Maynard, that may have offered only one section to begin with, the course faces possible elimination. This situation occurs at the extremes the honors and basic levels usually, where numbers of sections offered in a small school are limited to begin with.
That Committee also pointed out two other problems: Scheduling in small schools is extremely difficult, and conflicts often force hard choices. And, since many of the sports and extra-curricular activities are looking to the same small pool of students for membership, students can easily overextend themselves.
In April 1989, asubcommittee of the Maynard School Committee was formed to look at the issue of regionalization and other options. At Town Meeting in November 1989, this subcommittee was reformed, according to state law, as the Maynard Regional School District Planning Committee, a Town Committee.
In May 1990, the Committee presented reports and recommendations to the School Committee on various options studied--distance learning (using TV, computer modems, and other technology), collaborative relationships with area schools, tuitioning students out, restructuring the grade levels, and keeping the system as it is and hoping for a commitment for suitable funding. The Regional Committee also recommended pursuing discussions and negotiations with Acton/Boxboro on regionalizing the schools.
Through the fall and winter of 1990, representatives of Maynard, Acton and Boxboro met to negotiate an amendment to the Acton/Boxboro Regional District agreement for the regionalization of the schools in the three towns from kindergarten through grade 12. That proposed amended agreement, which is
enclosed in this report, is what the voters of the town of Maynard will be asked to vote on by secret ballot at Town Meeting on May 20.
Additionally, each community's representatives felt that it would be prudent to have abackup option in the case that one of the other communities turned down the full K-12 agreement. In Maynard's case, this will take the form of aK-6 agreement between Maynard and Acton, and a7-12 agreement between Maynard, Acton and Boxboro.
The Maynard Regional School District Planning Committee supports a unified K-12 district as the best option for the education of Maynard's children; the backup plan accomplishes the same in a two part process. If you vote for the K-12 Region article, you should also vote for the second option, K-6 with 7-12.
Original Format
Bound Pages, 8.5 x 11 in.' 160 pages
Storage
VF144
SU10-3