Up until now, Rochester Memorial School has not been a School Choice destination, and it will remain that way for the 2023-24 academic year after the Rochester School Committee voted against joining the program after its May 4 public hearing.
When the committee deliberated, Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson explained how the School Choice program has worked in Mattapoisett and ORR districts.
Enrollment is a factor, and Nelson deferred to RMS Principal Derek Medeiros, who said the school has been hovering above 500 annually. As of May 4, registration was incomplete for the 2023-24 academic year but had already reached 495.
“I’d say enrollment is pretty consistent,” said Medeiros, who estimated a range of 500 to 520 over the past few years.
Nelson offered his opinion that the lower grades need smaller class sizes and that it becomes a matter of personal opinion with older children.
Committee member Jason Chisholm suggested RMS has room in Grades 3 and 4 and the ability to enrich the community and be enriched by participating in School Choice. He cited Fairhaven resident, recent ORR graduate and Harvard student Eddie Gonet as an example.
Committee member Anne Fernandes agreed on the enrichment piece but found School Choice not to be economically feasible for RMS.
Special Education was also discussed, including as it affects a School Choice scenario in which the school attended is unable to meet all the needs of a particular student. Nelson explained that meetings with the student’s home district would be the next step toward finding solutions.
Nelson said RMS has eight students in Individual Education Plans (IEP.)
No one responded from the public to the invitation for questions or comments, so Committee Chairperson Sharon Hartley closed the public hearing.
Fernandes motioned that RMS does not join the School Choice program, and member Kate Duggan seconded the motion, citing a need to prioritize current challenges faced by Rochester’s own students. The vote was unanimous.
The committee voted to approve the following meeting dates for the 2023-24 school year: August 31, October 5, November 2, December 14, January 25, February 29, April 4 and June 6.
“This district is so completely unique in many ways, but one way that is tough on our school leaders is the fact that we have so many (committees) …,” said Hartley, citing the ORR District and Joint School Committee as well as the three towns’ committees. “It means that there are way less nights and evenings and afternoons that our leaders can do other kinds of work that has to be done. It becomes really complex.”
Nelson said the ORR Administration will be proposing a more-consistent calendar of school-committee and subcommittee meeting dates in an effort to avoid conflicts with other school events and members’ personal planning. He hopes Thursday will become a common day for those meetings.
The committee voted to accept the donation of a saxophone stand from ORR media director Erin Bednarczyk.
On recommendation of the school librarian, the committee also voted to accept the donation of the following 15 books from the Scholastic Book Fair: “A Crown for Corina” by Laekan Zea Kemp; “Star Wars Galactic Baking” by Insight Editions; “The Horse Encyclopedia for Kids” by Ethan Pembroke; “The Official Harry Potter Baking Book” by Joanna Farrow; “Frizzy” by Claribel A. Ortega; “If I Was the Sunshine” by Julie Fogliano; “A Poem for Peter” by Andrea Davis Pinkney; “The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster” by Mo Willems; “Waiting” by Kevin Henkes; “Who Was the First Man on the Moon?; Neil Armstrong” by Nathan Page; “Nature Attacks” by Lauren Tashis; “Who Was the Greatest?: Muhammad Ali” by Gabe Soria; “Cat Kid Comic Club” by Dav Pilkey; “Barakah Beats” by Maleeha Siddiqui and “Room to Dream” by Kelly Yang.
The committee heard updates on finances from ORR Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber and on the district’s literacy initiative from Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. Shari Fedorowicz.
In his Principal’s Report, Medeiros announced RMS will hold its science fair, art show and third-grade concert all in one night, Thursday, May 18, beginning at 5:30 pm. Medeiros thanked Tree Warden Jeff Eldridge and ORR School Committee member Matthew Monteiro for organizing Arbor Day, sending students home with trees. Kindergarten screening will be held Wednesday, May 31, and Thursday, June 1. Preregistered, half-hour slots will be held between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.
The School Committee entered executive session for the purposes of exception Number 3 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining and Number 7 to comply with the provisions of any general or special law or federal grant-in-aid requirements and only returned to adjourn.
The next meeting of the Rochester School Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, June 6, at 6:30 pm at Rochester Memorial School. The next meeting of the Joint School Committee will be held on Thursday, June 8, at 6:30 pm at ORR Junior High School.
Rochester School Committee
By Mick Colageo