Student residency discussion underway
Published on October 2nd, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - The School Committee is planning a discussion on a potentially volatile agenda item for an upcoming meeting - the issue of student residency.
Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly advised the School Committee on Thursday that it has a firm policy that requires children in Stoneham Public Schools to be residents of Stoneham.
"You charge the school administration to carry out that policy,” said Connolly
Stoneham has consistently chosen to remain a non-school choice district over the past several years which means it does not allow students from other towns to enroll.
"Our policy says all students...must reside in the town. It is a clear-cut, firm policy that all students attending the schools must reside in Stoneham,” said Connolly.
Connelly advised that because of Stoneham’s fine reputation, the school department constantly fields calls from non-residents requesting to send their children to Stoneham schools.
"The answer is always no," said Connolly.
However, the school department also gets calls from people who allege that some families with children in Stoneham schools do not live in town.
This year, according to Connelly, a few cases have come to the school department’s attention where students’ families are not living in Stoneham.
The schools therefore have a couple of options. The students are told to they must leave or, in the case of extenuating circumstances, where a family is forced to live outside the town on a temporary basis due to fire, for instance, the student could be allowed to stay.
Review of the policy and such situations by the School Committee acting as the school department’s "fiscal agent," is necessary, said Connelly.
"We’re asking building administrators to carry out this policy. Right now...they don’t know which way to go...We need your guidance so we can be consistent,” said Connolly. “If we say no exceptions... and people become aware of these arrangements, we have to be able to tell them what our position on this is."
Committee Chairman Dan Moynihan called for a legal interpretation of the two state laws on which the School Committee policy is based. It would be important to know what case law to point to if the committee’s policy or any decision based on that policy is challenged, he said. In cases of extenuating circumstances, guidelines regarding tuition payment or waiver of such would need to be outlined.
"It’s an important decision that ultimately falls on this committee and I think I’d like to have some legal footing,” said Donaue. “I don’t want to be accused of making some arbitrary or capricious decision. We’ve got to have something to base that decision on."
At the heart of the issue is, of course, the added burden placed on taxpayers when out of town students take advantage of a school system funded by town residents.
Connelly stressed the need for credibility with the townspeople.
"I think that the important message to the people of the town is that when we say that to our knowledge there is no nonresident family or student attending Stoneham Public Schools, we sincerely believe that," Connelly said.
The School Committee next meets at the Central School on October 10, and will take up the issue then if all of its research is completed.
Central School Construction
As the new Central School nears the one-year anniversary of its official opening to students, the School Committee heard on Thursday that the construction project may finally be nearing its end.
Recent activity on the site has been in the form of more than just little feet running up and down hallways. Alexander Construction recently reached an agreement with the Stoneham School Department regarding items in dispute on the new Central School building project and subsequently, that work has been in progress for the past couple of weeks. Now with the deadline past, the School Committee is awaiting the architect’s report on completion.
The punch list of completion work is valued at about $122,000. If any of the items listed are not completed, Stoneham expects to receive full credit for the work that it, in turn, will have to complete on its own. A report from the architect is expected this week.
Central School traffic
Another thing still in the works at the new Central School is a traffic pattern that allows for the on time drop off and pick up of students while ensuring safety for all in the area.
When asked why the number of cars around the site seems higher than last year, Connelly reminded the School Committee that the school did not open until November 7 and typically, the colder weather dissuades parents from leaving their cars to socialize at school.
"September and October are the two nicest months when parents are more apt to stay...The new Central School just does not have the capacity to have a large number of parents park and leave their cars and visit for a while,” said Connolly. “Especially in the afternoon, the volume of cars overwhelms that (school’s) foot print...It’s something at this point in time still has to be watched closely and improved."
In addition to safety problems that ensue anytime there are that many cars and kids in one space, other issues, such as being a good neighbor, concern Connelly.
Neighboring property owners at 105 Central Street have expressed concern with use of their lot by parents during the high volume drop off and pick up times. Connelly pointed out that the Cataldo family, who owns the property, has been very generous to the schools, allowing use of their lot during evening events at the Middle and new Central schools.
"They’ve been very good us...but they don’t want us to use (their parking lot) on a daily basis,” said Connolly.
School Committee member Cheryl Walsh sees the problems first hand every day and reported that the frustration level at the school is understandably high with regard to the parking and congestion problems. Parents want to be able to park their cars and leave them for the relatively few minutes that dismissal typically takes, she said. Yet the footprint of that school is made for dropping off students, and "live parking" is not working as parents are leaving their cars.
Yet, Walsh reported also seeing a myriad of resulting behaviors, such as parents double parking, dropping off students in between cars, using the site as a cut-through, and disrespecting crossing guards. These can be corrected, she added, if parents keep one thing in mind.
"I think we’ve forgotten that we need to be good role models for our kids,” said Walsh.
With the School Committee taking its show on the road this semester, member David Sheils suggested that this topic be at the forefront of the School Committee’s upcoming meeting scheduled for October 10 at the new Central School where, he said, "we’ll be talking to the right people."
"If everyone plays by the same set of rules, it will make it safer for the kids."
Connelly is hopeful that the problem will be resolved. The new South School experienced many of the same problems, but the situation has improved over time.
"South School is off to a very good start,” said Connolly.
South School Receives Grant
Assistant School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Casey announced on Thursday that the Stoneham Public Schools are the recipient of a $75,000 grant.
The current federal initiative "No Child Left Behind" recognized Stoneham Public Schools work in the area of early literacy initiatives.
"Stoneham has stepped up to the plate in identifying early literacy as key,” said Casey. “We are getting this because we’re being recognized as putting together a model program."
Casey added that it is important for the town to recognize that the schools are seeking and finding additional funding wherever they can.
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