The School Committee moves a step closer to key decisions on the Robinson School Building Project as officials weigh the size of a future elementary school, potential school consolidation and whether to centralize the district’s preschool program.
Although the scope of the project now involves all elementary schools, it was formed to address the original issue at the aging Robinson School and has retained its name, if not its charter.
During the School Committee’s Sept. 22 meeting, members reviewed three enrollment options that remain: 470, 705 and 1,065 students, as the project advances through the feasibility study process. The choices could affect not only the size of a new school, but also grade configurations and attendance boundaries across the district.
The 470-student option would largely replace the existing Robinson School and maintain Westford’s current K-2 and grades 3-5 elementary school structure. The 705-student choice would combine the Robinson and Abbott school populations and transition the district toward K-5 elementary schools. A 1,065-student selection would consolidate Robinson, Abbott and Day schools into a larger K-5 building.
Superintendent Christopher Chew recommended the 705-student option, saying it would give the district flexibility as enrollment and other conditions change.
Under that option, Robinson and Abbott would be consolidated, while officials could continue studying whether Day School could eventually be incorporated into the model. Chew said he did not believe the 1,065-student option was appropriate for Westford, expressing concern that the district could build a school larger than its enrollment needs warrant.
The enrollment figures were developed through the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s enrollment projection process, which considers projected enrollment, capacity in schools outside the project, students entering the district and anticipated housing development.
Potential redistricting was also discussed. Consultants presented conceptual maps showing how attendance boundaries could change under different enrollment scenarios. Officials stressed that the maps are not proposed boundaries and are based on where students currently live.
Final redistricting decisions would not be made until closer to the opening of a new school, when the district has more current enrollment and population data.
The project is currently in the preferred schematic report portion of the feasibility study, with seven options still under consideration. The goal is ultimately to narrow those possibilities to one preferred option before advancing into schematic design, when a more detailed project cost estimate will be developed.
The School Committee is scheduled to vote Oct. 5 on whether to recommend a centralized, split or neighborhood preschool model. A vote on whether to recommend the 470-, 705- or 1,065-student enrollment option is scheduled for Oct. 19.
