Reconfiguring School Reconfiguration

Parents, teachers and concerned citizens packed into the auditorium at JFK Middle School in Enfield to try to give the reconfiguration committee a piece of their mind.
 
"Those who fail to plan, simply plan to fail," said Thomas Duffy, who was speaking on behalf of the Enfield School Administration Association.
 
The plan in this case is to shake up Enfield’s school system to save money and enhance education.  The first phase of the plan, which would come this September, is shutting down one elementary school and moving half of the sixth graders to JFK Middle School.  The following year another elementary school would close, the whole school system would be redistricted, and the second half of the sixth graders will move to JFK.  A long-term goal is to combine the two high schools into one.  Some parents are against the plan altogether.
 
"As a young child, I went through redistricting.  I never spent more than two years in a school up until I graduated high school.  I hated it, " said Matthew Miranda. 
 
Other parents say they agree with the ultimate goals of the reconfiguration, but making changes this late in the game for next school year will be disastrous.  "These are children.  And children worry about silly things, including what hallway they’re going to be in next year," said Sue Braun.
 
"There are 20 days left of the school year and hundreds of students and their families don’t have any idea where they will be next year," said Maureen Brennan.
Many parents want to push the whole plan back a year.
"If you close two schools for 2011, do the town-wide redistrict and the six through eight configuration, you’ll have less disruption," said Tina LeBlanc.

The Enfield Board of Education will vote on the plan at its next meeting on Tuesday.
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