Weston's School Enrollment Projected to Decline

Weston Public Schools might be headed into a period of significant enrollment declines, according to projections that were reported to the Board of Education at its regular meeting last week.

But Dr. Lewis Brey, who presented NESDEC’s updated enrollment projections, said that the projections do not always prove to be accurate.

“In the past, these 10 percent numbers have been way off,” Brey commented, observing that even a recent 5-year projection was significantly inaccurate.

According to the report, Weston shows a 14.1 percent decrease in enrollment over the next 10 years.

For next year, Hurlbutt Elementary anticipates a 42-student net decrease. Weston Intermediate School’s projections indicate a net decline of 33 students, while Weston Middle School and Weston High School should increase by 13 and 11 students, respectively.

2012-2013 calendar

Dr. Colleen Palmer, superintendent of schools, presented the calendar committee’s initial recommendations for the 2012-2013 calendar to the board, noting that the committee attempted to build a large amount of potential snow days into the year while also increasing calendar continuity.

The suggested changes are not final. In August 2012, the committee recommended that students begin on August 27, enabling a full week of school prior to September’s holiday-shortened weeks. Columbus Day would become a Professional Development day, and Election Day would become a parent teacher conference day. School would be closed on the day before Thanksgiving.

The biggest change occurs in February, where the current weeklong break would become a long weekend. Spring break, although currently scheduled for April 2013, may be moved to the last week of March. May conferences would be shortened to two days from three.

The suggested calendar provides for nine snow days without disruption, according to Palmer.

Should all of these changes occur as written, the last day of school would be June 7, 2013, provided there are no snow days during the school year.

Other business

Board members also recognized several National Merit Scholars, listened to standardized testing reports and voted on three new policy changes.

Held at the Weston Public Library, the board also welcomed its newest member, Nina Daniel, and commended Hurlbutt Elementary School on its Bronze Award, recently awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture for its healthy lunch program.

Thirteen Weston High School students achieved National Merit Scholar status, a designation that only 5 percent of 1.5 million PSAT-taking students earn nationwide. The students are Samantha Briggs, Rachel Eddy, Alexis Gandal, Shaun Lesniak, Lisa Maddox, Tess Maggio, Catherine Nohre, Philip Rainone, Billy Richling, Jordan Siff, Matt Silverman, Vincent Simboli and Juliet Zirn.

In addition, the College Board singled out Weston High School as an honored member of the Advanced Placement Honor Roll.

“It signifies that Weston High School is one of 367 high schools in the country” that demonstrated increased participation as well as improved examination outcomes, according to Dr. Palmer.

Assistant Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice presented the Statistical Report and Analysis of College Applications, which noted that 87 percent of 2011’s graduates took the SAT. There were 109 students who took the ACT.

According to the report, the number of students who took the ACT increased 3 percent, reflecting an east coast trend. The class of 2011 scored higher on the exams than 2010’s graduates overall; fifty-five percent of 2011’s graduates earned a spot in a highly competitive or most competitive college, as ranked by Barron’s.

In other board news: 

• A special board of education workshop will be held on Monday, Nov. 28 at the Weston High School auditorium to update the community on the AIM initiative.
• The schools are considering changing the existing modified full-day Kindergarten program to full-day beginning in 2012. Two community meetings will be held, the first on Nov. 30 at 9:30am in the Hurlbutt Elementary South House cafetorium, and the second on Dec. 7 at 7:30pm in the Weston Library media center.