School Board Reaffirms Refusal to Add New Eastbury Fourth-Grade Class

Despite high emotions and impassioned pleas from parents, the Board of Education reaffirmed their decision not to add a new fourth-grade class to .

The school board’s decision followed over three hours of discussion and commentary by concerned parents, Superintendent Alan Bookman, Eastbury Principal Nancy Bean, and members of the board at a special meeting held Thursday night in the school’s cafeteria.

“You’re nickel and diming us, and you’re not helping us,” parent Andros Lebowitz said.

The meeting was called after the board held a meeting last Thursday and . Parents have been attending meetings since May in an attempt to persuade the board to add a new fourth-grade class. .

Along with the approval for the new positions at Eastbury and Naubuc Schools at last Thursday’s meeting, board member James Zeller proposed a motion to approve adding a fourth-grade classroom on the condition that the administration could find space without causing disruption at Eastbury; the motion passed 4-2.

However, some, including some members of the board, felt that the approved motion shifted responsibility from the board to the superintendent and Principal Bean.

“I believe we put them in an untenable position with our conditional vote last Thursday,” Board member Pandora Wohler said.

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Due in part to the Board’s tacit approval for a new class provided space was found, much of Tuesday’s discussion revolved around where a new fourth grade class could be introduced. Several individuals proposed moving the art or music teachers onto mobile carts and turning their rooms into a core classroom.

“The need for a core classroom outweighs the need for an art classroom,” according to a statement by parent Jon Forrest, which was read by his wife Pamela. Forrest could not attend Tuesday night’s meeting in person.

Parents also suggested converting Room 20, which is currently the school’s book room and office for Christina Lower, the school’s language arts resource teacher.

“I never thought I was going to have to get up here and defend a third section against storage,” parent Erin Dunn said. “It doesn’t make sense to me that we would allow space to drive education.”

Parents also wanted to know why a third-grade classroom was added, when they had been working for months for a new fourth-grade class.

Bookman told the assembled parents that different standards of size are held for each of the class ranks, and that the administration and teachers are consulted to see which classes would most benefit from additional help.

“We look at the needs of the students in the classroom,” Bookman said. “I’m sorry to tell you you’ve got great kids, but you’ve got great kids.”

“There is an element of prioritization that has to happen,” school board chairwoman Susan Karp said.

The board ultimately moved to reaffirm the original decision not to add an additional fourth-grade class.