The WCSD is considering a plan designed by the Grade Reconfiguration Committee which would reconfigure the entire district to a K-6 model, effective as early as Fall 2012. All elementary schools will be redesigned to reflect this new model, requiring extensive redistricting. Over 800 children would be moved from their current schools to new schools, some outside of their peer group, neighborhood, and town, in order to accommodate this new configuration.

The committee has not presented any clear information as to how this plan will improve our children's educational experience or strengthen the quality of the district in any way. Further, there are many flaws to the committee's plan, both in its design and formation. These flaws include, but are not limited to:

-Lack of adherence to the district's own Shared Decision-Making Plan
-No community/parent notification or involvement
-No transparency of how the committee came to formulate this plan, with committee meeting minutes not being publicly posted
-No options/alternatives were presented, despite the Board's request
-No consideration of the emotional, psychological, and social impacts on the children
-No clear proposal for a grandfathering policy
-Errors in student numbers causing a misrepresentation of available classroom space

-Many children would be sent to schools further away than their current schools, yet savings in transportation costs were suggested
-No consideration was given to whether or not the schools that would receive more students could accommodate them
-This plan is not cost-efficient and would take more financial resources to implement

We urge the WCSD to dismiss this ill-conceived and flawed plan. Taking into consideration the recent trend of a decrease in population, this issue could be reassessed at a future date, when decreased enrollment may allow for a reconfiguration without such extensive redistricting and disruption for children.

Please join us in asking the Board of Education to vote against this plan. Thank you.