WESTFIELD — As promised, Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski and members of the central administration team gave an update to the School Committee on Feb. 3 about the plan to move the Fort Meadow program into Munger Hill and Highland Avenue elementary schools and reconfigure the department’s preschool program.
Czaporowski said the School Department was charged with putting together a committee that has been meeting weekly for the past several months in order to pave the way for a smooth transition. He said the majority of committee members were present.
Christopher Rogers, director of operations and safety for the School Department, said he had the “privilege and honor” of chairing the pre-kindergarten transition committee who he introduced, including among them School Committee members Michael Tirrell and Jeffrey Gunther. He said the committee has met 10 times since Nov. 1.
Tirrell said the committee was charged with planning the transition of the Fort Meadow program into the two elementary schools. He said the move was due to a “facilities dilemma,” and what it would take to rehab the existing building, built in 1914. After considering several different plans, the decision was made to move past the physical problems of the building and focus on transitioning the Fort Meadow program into the overall Westfield pre-kindergarten program.
Rogers said their immediate focus is to ensure the incoming 4-year-olds already in Fort Meadow would be appropriately placed based on needs, their home school and current peers, and to propose a timeline for internal and external classroom moves.
Munger Hill Principal Alexandra Clines said based on current enrollment projections, there will be five preschool classrooms in Munger Hill and Highland elementary schools. She said both schools will have three 4-year-old full day, one 4-year-old half day, and three 3-year-old half day classrooms. Southampton Road and Westfield River, both of which have two preschool classrooms, will have one 4-year-old full day, one 4-year-old half day, and one 3-year-old half day classes.
As far as age groups, districtwide, most 4-year-olds will attend full-day sessions, up to 180 students total; and most 3-year-olds will attend half-day sessions, up to 120 students.
Enrollment for special education will continue to be ongoing throughout the year, and enrollment for peers will be dependent upon availability. Special services will be distributed among the preschools based on student need and caseloads.
Fort Meadow Principal Jonathan Scagel, who will oversee the transition and preschool programs, presented the strategic timeline for the moves. He said the goal is to go forward with the transition, being mindful that the budget may impact the timeline.
A lottery window for student preschool enrollment will open in March. Also in March, they will start hiring movers and constructing classrooms in some of the schools. Tentative plans will be shared with staff at that time.
In April, equipment and furniture at Fort Meadow will be assessed. In May, prekindergarten screenings will be held, and staff in both schools will be notified of the classroom locations.
In June, Fort Meadow will begin packing rooms, and prekindergarten room prep and internal moves will start. In July, internal moves in Highland and Munger Hill will be completed, and summer cleaning started.
The formal move of Fort Meadow to Highland and Munger Hill will take place in August, including changing tables and dividers.
Transportation routes will be established, and pre-kindergarten playdates for students scheduled. Scagel said they will be ready for school to begin in September.
Mayor Michael McCabe thanked the committee for their work to date, commenting that ten meetings in three months is a lot. He then opened the meeting to questions from the School Committee.
Kathleen Hillman asked whether most of the kids in the city will be serviced by preschool.
Czaporowski said the program will service 300 3-and 4-year-olds, about less than half of the overall children in those age groups.
Christine Shea, director of assessment and accountability, said with the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative grant the School Department received, one of the goals is to provide access to all children in partnership with the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, family day cares and Head Start. She said Westfield Public School preschool is free through the CPPI grant and other funding sources. She said access is definitely a concern.
Tirrell said given the overall number versus the projected number in each of those age groups, “we don’t have enough seats at this point. Through this plan, it’s a 25% increase of what we have today, which is a step in the right direction.”
Asked about transportation, Debra Ecker, special education director, said students on IEPs will be transported. “If a student is near their home school, a parent may bring them,” she added.
Hillman asked when parents will learn about where their children will be going to school. Shea said the timeline for enrollment is in March. Parents need to inform the department of their interest and participate in the lottery for new students. After that, they will be figuring out the numbers and the neighborhood schools.
“Students will be going to the school closest to where families live. We’re taking names and contact information,” Shea said, adding they can reach out to her at christine.shea@schoolsofwestfield.org or by calling the office at 413-642-9320. She said the lottery is not yet available, and will be preceded by communitywide communication.
Bo Sullivan asked if every current 3-year-old in the program right now is guaranteed a seat. Ecker said the reason the committee started the planning with 4-year-olds, is to ensure that every 3-year-old currently enrolled is guaranteed a spot.
Sullivan also asked about the current staff at Fort Meadow. Michael Morris, director of human services, said due to the budget conversations at the moment, they can’t make definitive statements right now.
Gunther said his understanding is that the instructional staffing was intended to be the same whether the transition was made or not. “We’re not using this as a plan to reduce instructional support.”
Hillman asked when parents will learn about where their children will be going to school. Shea said the timeline for enrollment is in March. Parents need to inform the School Department of their interest and participate in the lottery for new students. After that, they will be figuring out the numbers and the neighborhood schools.
“Students will be going to the school closest to where families live. We’re taking names and contact information,” Shea said, adding they can reach out to her. She said the lottery is not yet available, and will be preceded by community-wide communication.
Heather Sullivan said her main concern is that there will be adequate staffing, especially for preschool children needing support services.
“Fort Meadow is a particular program dealing with a particular group of students. The ratio of teachers and support staff to students is remarkably high. These two programs are going into schools that are inundated and overworked, and groups that are too big. That’s what I’m hearing,” she said, asking how the department is going to service the students and work out the special education issues. “I feel like we’re already understaffed for this full endeavor,” she said, adding that she appreciated the work that’s being done.
Ecker said they are not looking at using current support staff for prekindergarten students next year. “We’re not going to be taxing current staff,” she said, detailing the positions and staff that could be moved over from Fort Meadow.
“As far as caseloads, we need to know where kids are going first,” said Jaime O’Neil, lead manager for autism and social emotional services for the School Department.
Bo Sullivan noted that CPPI is a grant program. “When they don’t fund that grant anymore — it’s a big grant — when or if we lose that grant, we need a plan,” he said. Shea said the grant is up now for funding.
Tirrell said he wanted to recognize the committee that came together, which he called a very diverse group from the central administration team, the School Committee, teachers, special education professionals, union members and principals. “There was a lot of brain power in that room concentrating on the well-being of the program. It’s not ideal that we have to move out of this building, but location wise and set up wise — this group did a great job coming together,” he said.
