I actually like the K-flex plan the least of any of the plans presented. It makes kindergarten students transfer for 2 years in a row to multiple schools, so it essentially says their contributions to their school is irrelevant and shoves them where-ever there is an open desk. Even more troubling is that VO and Lynch would each have 5-6 kindergarten classes. That means 120 students will be shuffling in and out of these schools every single year. That is creating a HUGE transient student population which will really impact each of these school's PTOs, events, organization, costs, and the other 300 students that attend each school. Given the concern expressed by Lynch parents about changes to their school and the impact on them, I would think this plan would really be harmful to Lynch.

Reply to Outsidein: please read the facts before making comments. For example, KG students get transferred for 1 year ONLY, then they go back to their home schools. Besides, there is a chance they might not be moved depending on the criteria finalized by the superintendent for how to select which KG students to be moved from overcapacity schools to undercapacity school for a particular year.

Thanks for the comment Rita. My comment on transferring twice referred to transferring once into kindergarten and a second time into first grade. I should have stated that more clearly. That said, I think my comments on the churn at VO and Lynch are accurate. Even if you assume VO and Lynch kindergarteners attend those schools, you still have 80-100 kids that will transfer out each year. That's about 25% of school population every year. That seems like a bad idea to me.

I appreciate the comments, outsidein. A couple quick points, which may be better addressed at tonight's meeting by the plan's authors. There is unlikely to be quite so much shifting, as the numbers can be manipulated (the beauty of the flex), as I understand it, to ensure 1-2 classes of kindergarten classes at each school. These students would not then shift for first grade, others would simply join them. The concerns you express may also be eased somewhat by looking to the Lynch preschool model. Students of the preschool become part of that student body each year for 1 or perhaps 2 yrs, participate in the school and PTO, then transition out. Also, thank you for the special attn paid to Lynch in your comments. As a Lynch parent, I've actually concluded that it does the least harm. None are perfect, but it is the most reasonable, in my opinion. Lynch gains 60 students under all scenarios.

I appreciate the comments, outsidein. A couple quick points, which may be better addressed at tonight's meeting by the plan's authors. There is unlikely to be quite so much shifting, as the numbers can be manipulated (the beauty of the flex), as I understand it, to ensure 1-2 classes of kindergarten classes at each school. These students would not then shift for first grade, others would simply join them. The concerns you express may also be eased somewhat by looking to the Lynch preschool model. Students of the preschool become part of that student body each year for 1 or perhaps 2 yrs, participate in the school and PTO, then transition out. Also, thank you for the special attn paid to Lynch in your comments. As a Lynch parent, I've actually concluded that it does the least harm. None are perfect, but it is the most reasonable, in my opinion. Lynch gains 60 students under all scenarios.

Thanks Michele. I will continue to listen and learn about all plans. 1-2 k classes per school is fine but I don't see how that is possible. There has to be more kids into VO and Lynch. The authors presentation on 10/2 showed 6 k classes at VO and 5 at Lynch. So that is probably 80-100 each year. And it's not a one time transition. That's 80-100 new students at Lynch and VO every single year.As I know you are, pay close attention to the number of k classes in each school. That is essentially a transient population every single year.

My concern with buffer zones is that it creates a permanent section of town that must annually suffer the the effects of redistricting for the benefit of the rest of the town. In any of the map based models, certain sections of town must move (and others do not move), but it is a one time move and all the children of the neighborhood move together. I would rather know that my children and all their friends were moving than to know that some were and some weren't.

For certain, no child who is being proposed to move in any of the 5 scenarios was even alive when their house was redistricted before. It was 8 years ago when redistricting last took place and none of the houses that were redistricted at that time are proposed to be redistricted this time (Grove St. region of town). So you'd have to go back two redistrictings ago to even have the possibility that a house was affected twice.

Suburbanmama,
Thank you for your comment. On K-flex. The School committee had brought up bsing costs over the summer. By using both VO and Lynch and leaving at least one class of kindergarteners it is possible to eliminate the need for busing because these two schools are actually close enough to the other three districts that most kindergarteners in town would be within two miles. I hope this helps understand it a little better. I like the ALO plan and buffer zone plans as well. ALO can be combined with other plans as well. The best thing about ALO is that people will be choosing a new school because they will be getting something.

I agree with you Dennis. Let's also hope that no matter what the Superintendent recommends and the SC ultimately approves, we all recognize that there's no hidden agenda or targeting of particular areas. There is obviously alot of anxiety over redistricting, but I think all the histronics and drama are counter-productive, particularly the mis-information fed to the Globe. Let's keep in mind that all of the decision makers are our neighbors, our children's friends, and are really trying to do the right thing with a very complex, emotional, but necesssary redistricting.