Winchester School Committee Denies Student Transfer Request

Pascal Dangerville has yet to tell his daughter she won’t be attending the

“I told her I would bring her here,” Dangerville said. “I don’t know what to tell her. I told her it was just a matter of time [until she would be accepted]. I’m still trying to feel out how to tell her.”

The longtime custodian and Everett resident had requested that his daughter – Yamiley – attend , on the grounds that he was a school employee. Dangerville’s son, Philippe, was given a waver 11 years ago to attend the Winchester schools. Philippe is now one year away from graduating from Penn State University.

“I was able to adapt better than a lot of students at Penn State because Winchester prepared you as a person, not just academically but socially,” Philippe said. “If my sister would be allowed to come here, it would be better for her in the long run.”

However, after an emotional discussion that included members of the Lincoln staff, the School Committee voted unanimously against Dangerville’s request.

According to School Committee member, Sarah Swiger, 11 years ago custodians were part of the school department. Having your children attend Winchester schools, even if they live outside the district, is one of the benefits school employees have in their contract.

But approximately seven or eight years ago, custodians became municipal employees and part of the , according to Swiger. And there is no clause in the contract that allows town employees to send their children to Winchester schools if they don't live in the district.

“We have to look at the complete set of circumstances,” Swiger said. “This is an incredibly successful family and they’re cared for within the Winchester community. But once you get to the point of offering one employee that benefit then you open the door, legally, ethically, morally, to give that same benefit to a much broader group.

“How do you say yes to one and no to another?”

According to School Committee member, Michael Schindelman, over the last seven years the committee has made decisions against these types of actions, voting against . The committee also cited as a reason it has not accepted students from other districts.

“There’s no outcome I would feel good about,” Shindelman said. “The ability to say yes would feel nice, but you have to realize that there’s no right in the contract to do this.”