Ford folks plead for another solution

LYNN – With the Ford School on the brink of closing its middle school annex and returning to a K-5 format, parents and supporters turned out in droves to speak against the move at Thursday night’s School Committee meeting.Citing high student achievement and unique programs, parents of the over 220 students who are expected to attend new schools next year pleaded with School Committee members and Superintendent Catherine Latham to spare the annex and take money from other areas in the budget.While the thoughts of parents and others were taken into consideration, Thursday’s meeting ended without a vote on the budget, pushing any decisions on the final spending plan to May 28 at the earliest.Facing a $4-$5 million funding gap in the fiscal year 2010 budget, the school department has been hit hard by cuts and reductions, specifically in the areas of staffing, where over 130 employees are expected to receive pink slips this summer.Of the program cuts, eliminating grades 6-8 at the Ford and transferring out of district students is a money-saving option the superintendent says she cannot avoid.”We have looked at every possible option,” Latham told the School Committee. “We have spent days and weeks on this, but I just don’t see any other way.”Concerned parents pleaded with the committee during an open microphone session prior to the scheduled meeting, asking where students would receive the type of education found in programs unique to the Ford.Other parents of students already displaced by the closing of the Fallon and Washington elementary schools last year expressed concerns that their students are moving schools too often.In addition, Ford Principal Claire Crane provided the committee with letters of recommendation from both NASA and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who each have a partnership with the school.”During the past three years, the Ford K-8 has had a stellar relationship with NASA education as one of the agency’s most effective NASA explorer schools,” wrote NASA Aerospace Education Specialist Richard Varner. “Children whom I’ve visited in the sixth grade and could not envision a life beyond the borders of Lynn, most recently spoke to me of hopes to attend the finer high school programs in your region and dreams of college and beyond.”Some committee members also spoke out in support of the school, asking Latham to take a second look at a plan that could move students to space at the Fecteau-Leary Junior Senior High School that will be vacated next year when freshman return to Classical High School.”We have had a lot of people talking here that we should take into consideration and maybe take a different view on what is happening at the Ford school,” said committee member Maria Carrasco. “We are together here for the parents and the students and I hope that we can come up with a different plan for the Ford School.”Latham passed out a second version of the department’s proposed $107.4 million budget Thursday, but committee members chose not to take a vote for a public hearing until the next schedule meeting, May 28, at the earliest.Under the current plan, the Ford School will shift from a K-8 to a K-5 format, displacing the 221 middle school and an unknown number of out of district elementary school students to other schools.As a part of her revised budget, Latham included staff changes to the Ford and other schools.If the current budget plan stays the same, the Ford will lose nine total teachers, one substitute, one guidance counselor and one vice principal. Those positions will move to the Breed, Pickering and Marshall middle schools, along with the Ford students.If numbers stay the same, Breed and Marshall will each receive two teachers and one vice principal and Pickering will receive one additional teacher.In the elementary school, the Cobbett will add two teachers while the Hood will add three and the Lincoln Thompson and Tracy schools will add one each.Latham also outlined staff changes at Lynn Voca