Task Force to analyze all possibilities for future of HWRSD middle schools

Date: 12/4/2014

WILBRAHAM –  Superintendent of Schools M. Martin O’Shea recently stressed that the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District would not rush to any judgment regarding the future of the district’s middle schools.

At its Nov. 20 meeting, the Middle School Task Force (MSTF) discussed characteristics of a model middle school and the current staffing, programming, and scheduling at Wilbraham Middle School (WMS) and Thornton Burgess Middle School (TWB).

“At this stage, before any recommendations are made, the committee is building its knowledge,” O’Shea said in a letter posted on the town’s website on Nov. 21.

“So far, the task force has toured each facility, reviewed the buildings’ capital needs, familiarized themselves with the characteristics of an exemplary middle school, and learned about the current educational programs provided at TWB and WMS,” he continued.

TWB Principal Peter Dufresne and WMS Principal Noel Pixley led a discussion about an ideal middle school model, emphasizing practices such as common planning time, teaming, and how a strong related arts program can meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of youth.

Sixty-three core classes at WMS have a range of 20 to 24 students. At TWB, an average of about 26 students are also enrolled in the school’s 63 core classes.

TWB and WMS both have five core academic classes. TWB has 50-minute classes while WMS has 55-minute classes.

“There’s a lot of similarities between the schools,” School Committee Chair Marc Ducey said. “And that’s by design.”

Timothy Connor, assistant superintendent for Learning, said one element that the task force should keep in mind is having 20 to 25 students per class for cost effectiveness.

“There’s never enough money [in the school budget],” Ducey said. “There just isn’t. So, it’s all about priorities. It’s never about ‘What should we spend this pot of money on;’ it’s ‘What should we cut?’”

As an example of the type of fiscal choices districts have to make, he said, “Do you want to offer AP (Advanced Placement) calculus or increase the class size?”

Dufresne said in his opinion one idea would be to combine students from both towns once they enter sixth grade as opposed to the current regionalization of students that begins when students enter ninth grade at Minnechaug Regional High School.

Connor said by ninth grade, cliques have been established among the student body.

“I don’t know if it’s a matter of thinking about pros and cons as much as it is thinking about the unique challenges and unique strengths of each building,” he added.

The unique challenge is how to maintain an expansive core academic program and related arts program in the face of declining enrollment at both schools, he explained. Both schools are also challenged by the need to share staff.

“I think it’s premature for this committee as a whole to come to any conclusions,” O’Shea said when asked about a potential new regionalized middle school. “There are many different ways to deal with declining enrollment while being cost effective and educationally effective.”

Ducey said a recommendation to the School Committee regarding hiring engineers to examine both sites is one potential idea.

“So, hopefully we can get a good solid directional movement by the end of the year,” Ducey added. “We can probably think about it over the holidays and formulate as soon as we come back and then make some directional recommendations to the School Committee.”

The next MSTF meeting is anticipated to take place on Dec. 4 and the committee would likely discuss fiscal challenges and opportunities related to both middle schools.