ASHBURNHAM — There have been concerns expressed after a recent discussion on voting whether to allow School Choice within the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District. Though many community members have said that they wish to cut back and even stop accepting School Choice, others have expressed their concerns over impact.
School Committee Chairman William Ewing sought to clarify information from a previous discussion concerning accepting students from out of district. The state must know by May if the committee intends to allow School Choice. If the committee votes not to accept School Choice for the 2020-21 school year, all those currently attending in-district will be grandfathered and will be allowed to stay until they decide to leave or they graduate. No new students would be accepted.
In previous years, students accepted under School Choice from other districts sometimes helped to fill budget gaps. When the district accepted 200 students, it could count on another $1,000,000 every year, and as long as those students filled empty seats in a classroom, it all worked out.
When there were too many students in one room to balance the teacher-student ratio, the district would have to hire another teacher, eating away at the $5,000 per student received from the state.
Many people in the two member towns looked at the per-pupil cost and noted that the $5,000 did not cover what it was costing them to educate the children in their own towns, and expressed those concerns to the superintendent.
The School Committee and superintendent saw that community members had a point, and thus decided to whittle down the incoming School Choice students. The number dropped from more than 200 to approximately 140 last year, and this year 117, giving the district $585,000 without expanding the classrooms.
Ewing said he has received a couple of emails and phone calls from concerned residents that prompted him to provide clarification.
“When it comes time to vote on School Choice, which happens in May, I believe, or has to by that time, it’s either yes or no,” he told the committee on Jan. 21. “There was confusion as to whether we could set limits. The School Committee does not vote on the numbers, however, the numbers are based on a variety of factors.”
Ewing explained that students from out-of-district are accepted while factoring in class size.
“We do indicate some preference there,” he said. “We also have a policy, which is based on homes in the district. We have asked the administration to try and gradually reduce the numbers as time goes along.”
As the two communities grow, it becomes even more imperative to decide whether there will be room enough in certain schools. In the last few months the district has grown by 29 students. With the current building going on in both communities, the number is sure to grow.
Ewing noted that if the committee votes no, there is a requirement that the district hold public hearings, and as part of the no vote there would be a resolution that indicates the reasons for voting no.
“Other than that, everything is very straightforward,” said Ewing.
Currently, out of the 117 School Choice students in the district, 28 of them seniors.
Students shared concerns about School Choice with committee member Jennifer Storm, saying that if it was closed it would be a detriment to arts, academic and athletic programs.
Ewing told the committee that if they vote School Choice down this year, it is possible to vote it in at any time in the coming years.
The committee is waiting on an impact report from the business manager before making a decision.
