Braintree School Committee Approves Flexible Boundaries for Elementary Schools

Braintree, MA - A parent expecting to enroll their children in the Liberty School could end up at the Hollis School, a new plan approved by the school committee says.

Monday night, the Braintree School Committee voted to approve flexible boundaries for the elementary schools, allowing for schools to accept students from outside their typical neighborhoods.

Superintendent Frank Hackett told the board that there is a concern that the enrollment numbers at the elementary level are not coming in equally, noting the higher growth at the Highland and Liberty schools. He said there are currently areas of town where buses for different schools pass each other, specifically between Liberty and Hollis, Highland and Liberty, and Hollis and Flaherty.

Under the plan, parents of new students would enroll at their neighborhood school and a determination for placement would be made based on available space. The move is designed to avoid more severe choices, Hackett said,

“I think without this we may talk about redistricting. What this is trying to prevent is me coming to you in 3-4 years and saying we have to move students or we have to add portable units,” he said.

The plan has been discussed with the Massachusetts School Building Authority, who sees the proposal as part of the middle school renovation project.

“I had some reservations but I’ve come to understand it. We are taking steps to growing the East Middle School capacity and working hard to get South as part of that program. It will take pressure off the elementary schools,” Mayor Joseph Sullivan said.

Once a family is assigned to a school, all their children will attend the same school. No families will be broken up, Hackett said.