POLL: School Committee Approves Out-of-Town Student to Attend Peaslee

For more than six weeks, Owen Kelsey had been attending first grade at Houghton Elementary School in Sterling. In a letter written by his mom Clare Kelsey, who teaches fifth grade at she asked that her son be allowed to transfer to Peaslee.

"Unfortunately it has become a great source of stress for our family," wrote Clare in a letter addressed to Dr. Charles Gobron, . "I have been finding it increasingly more difficult as the weeks go on to be available for Owen's before and after school needs, given the 30-minute driving distance between my school and his."

After discussing the schools' policy, which allows for a transfer if a parent works in the school system, and the committee approves it, Owen was allowed to transfer. Committee members Patti Kress and Susan Sartori voted no, while Joan Frank and Shirley Lundberg evened it out with yeses. Chairman Nancy Berglund broke the tie with a yes. 

"I am concerned," said Kress. "I see class sizes increasing and getting larger and it concerns me. I'd like to keep the classrooms open to those students in Northborough, and moving in to Northborough."

Frank added, "Once [this policy] was passed, there has never been an issue that has come up. Any child who comes through our district gets a fair and equitable education."

Clare added in her letter that she and her husband are preparing to put their home up for sale and "relocating to a home as close to work as possible. Having Owen attend the school where I teach would best suit the needs of our family's schedule, and allow me to maximize the time I spend at work."