Mayor Will Flanagan said he expects to hold a session meeting of the School Committee to decide on the fate of the Henry Lord Middle School.
With the School Committee poised to continue discussing the plan to close the academically struggling school during tonight?s School Committee meeting, Flanagan said a vote on the proposal will likely come during the next month.
?We?ll further the discussion on this Monday,? Flanagan said Friday. ?I?ve been meeting regularly with the superintendent, as I?ve had issues that are being answered, and I know my colleagues still have questions that they don?t have answers to or they may want more information. We?re not just going to kick this can down the road and not make a decision, so hopefully we will continue to discuss and answers are available.?
The School Committee meeting will be held at the Matthew J. Kuss Middle School at 6:30 p.m. Flanagan said any special meeting will be held before the School Committee meeting next month, which is scheduled for Feb. 11.
Superintendent Meg Mayo-Brown has presented the School Committee with a plan to close Henry Lord after concerns were raised by state education officials that a lack of academic progress was leading the school down a path toward state takeover. Students currently attending the school would be reassigned to the district?s three other middle schools, and a second proposal would make the Henry Lord facility into an early-college high school that would serve 200 students in grades seven and eight. That proposal has been given preliminary approval, and a final plan for the creation of such a school is currently in development.
Flanagan said he has been given assurances by Mayo-Brown that the closure and creation of a new school is financially viable within the School Department?s budget. He said that sentiment includes potential costs associated with student transportation and providing extracurricular activities.
Mayo-Brown said she has held a series of information sessions at the school for parents in an effort to answer questions about the closure. Flanagan said input from parents will also be an important factor in the decision.
?We?re going to work with parents to make sure any decision doesn?t disrupt their lifestyle,? Flanagan said. ?Parents want to make sure their children are getting a good education, and we?re not looking for any surprises. We want to keep the public well-informed and make sure their input is heard.?
Email Will Richmond at wrichmond@heraldnews.com.
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