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Milford looks at redistricting help
By Brian McCready
Milford Bureau Chief
MILFORD — The Board of Education may hire an expert to help develop possible redistricting options.
The board is in the midst of a community survey, and after the first mailing to about 17,000 dwellings, 50.3 percent of the questionnaires have been returned. School officials are asking how many children parents have and the children’s ages.
It’s most important that the district determine where children from birth to age 4 are located.
School board Chairman David Hourigan, D-4, said an expert or consultant will help identify where residential developments might sprout up.
“An expert can help us with redistricting options,” Hourigan said.
He said he hopes the consultant would be hired in the spring, but the costs are not yet known. The board will do whatever it can to keep expenses down, he said.
Deputy Superintendent of Operations Philip G. Russell said cards were recently sent to 1,500 parents of school-age children who did not respond to the initial mailing. He said another 600 responses came back, pushing the percentage to 57.65 percent, but he said 900 parents have not responded.
“That’s a very low percentage return,” Russell said, who added that the district needs to obtain at least a 70 percent response rate. He said the next step is for officials to go door-to-door or hire a telemarketing firm to make calls. He said the calls must come from a school board number or no one will answer because of caller ID.
Superintendent of Schools Harvey B. Polansky said he is somewhat mystified that 900 parents have not turned in their surveys. “There is some resistance to submitting ... surveys,” Polansky said.
Russell said the school system must finish the survey within a year or the data is meaningless.
The school board is discussing the issue of redistricting due to overcrowding at Mathewson Elementary School.
The school board has decided to send incoming kindergartners to Pumpkin Delight to ease overcrowding there.
The school board is looking at redistricting citywide. No specific plans or proposals have been discussed.
Milford Bureau Chief
MILFORD — The Board of Education may hire an expert to help develop possible redistricting options.
The board is in the midst of a community survey, and after the first mailing to about 17,000 dwellings, 50.3 percent of the questionnaires have been returned. School officials are asking how many children parents have and the children’s ages.
It’s most important that the district determine where children from birth to age 4 are located.
School board Chairman David Hourigan, D-4, said an expert or consultant will help identify where residential developments might sprout up.
“An expert can help us with redistricting options,” Hourigan said.
He said he hopes the consultant would be hired in the spring, but the costs are not yet known. The board will do whatever it can to keep expenses down, he said.
Deputy Superintendent of Operations Philip G. Russell said cards were recently sent to 1,500 parents of school-age children who did not respond to the initial mailing. He said another 600 responses came back, pushing the percentage to 57.65 percent, but he said 900 parents have not responded.
“That’s a very low percentage return,” Russell said, who added that the district needs to obtain at least a 70 percent response rate. He said the next step is for officials to go door-to-door or hire a telemarketing firm to make calls. He said the calls must come from a school board number or no one will answer because of caller ID.
Superintendent of Schools Harvey B. Polansky said he is somewhat mystified that 900 parents have not turned in their surveys. “There is some resistance to submitting ... surveys,” Polansky said.
Russell said the school system must finish the survey within a year or the data is meaningless.
The school board is discussing the issue of redistricting due to overcrowding at Mathewson Elementary School.
The school board has decided to send incoming kindergartners to Pumpkin Delight to ease overcrowding there.
The school board is looking at redistricting citywide. No specific plans or proposals have been discussed.
Labels: Education
posted by Helen Bennett Harvey at
11:27 AM
2 Comments:
Milford taxpayers will be paying for something our Board Of Ed should be doing. They ALWAYS put the work off for others at a high price. Two superintendent searches and now redistricting. You wanted this job...DO IT!
Milford taxpayers will be paying for something our Board Of Ed should be doing. They ALWAYS put the work off for others at a high price. Two superintendent searches and now redistricting. You wanted this job...DO IT!
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