School Board Rejects Request For Additional Open Choice Students

Members of the Vernon Board of Education on Monday denied a request from the Capitol Region Education Council to place two additional Open Choice students from Hartford at Lake Street School.

The reasoning was that there was not enough room for two in-district transfers, nevermind out-of-district students.

Board member David Kemp asked the agenda item be moved at the beginning of the meeting so that an informed decision could be made about the request after a report was given about in-district school choice placements, where parents of children who attend schools that do not meet Adequate Yearly Progress on state tests can request for their children to be placed in schools that are meeting the AYP.

The July 27 request was made by CREC because the two elementary school students - a second- and fourth-grader from Hartford - have a sibling that attends Rockville High School. The board questioned who pays for transporting the students and is more than one bus used because school start times vary.

Superintendent of Schools Mary Conway explained that Hartford pays for the transportation and more than one bus is used.

On a previous agenda item, the board learned that two of its own district students were denied their first choice of attending Lake Street School because of spacing issues in the second grade and were given their second choice to be placed at Center Road School.

“We can’t transfer our own students, but we can find space for Open Choice students?” board member Paul Stansel questioned.

“This is why I asked for the agenda items to be moved,” Kemp said.

Kemp also requested a breakdown of students who requested to leave Maple Street School or Northeast School which school they were assigned – Center Road or Lake Street before making the motion to deny the request. Although information was provided to the board it was not as detailed as Kemp question.  

Before the vote occurred, Lake Street School Principal Robert Testa said he felt the school could encumber a second-grader and a fourth-grader. He said that the two second grade classes have 22 students at this time.

Assistant Superintendent Deborah Murasso pointed out that she had received word that some students in district that had requested and were approved placement had decided not to transfer to another in district school but would remain at their home school. She was not sure of which placement the students had been assigned at the meeting.

Vernon currently has 21 Open Choice students (four in first grade, one in second grade, one in fifth grade, four in sixth grade, three in 10^th grade, five in 11^th grade and three in 12^th grade) as well as approximately 70 in district open choice students who request to leave their assigned school because of test scores.

Kemp moved to deny the special request by CREC. The motion was seconded by Stansel.

Joining them in voting to deny the request were Dean Houle, Laura Bush and William Nicholson.

George Apel voted against the motion and Terri Goldich abstained.