Kennedy: Lynn kindergarten busing plan likely to hold

LYNN – She is sympathetic to their concerns, but Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy said parents should not anticipate School Committee members will rethink a plan to bus kindergartners from three overcrowded schools following a hearing next Wednesday on the plan.”We’re not required to take any action to reverse ourselves. It’s an extremely difficult, no-win situation,” Kennedy said.The committee voted 7-0 on April 23 to allow public school administrators to transport about 250 kindergartners by bus from Brickett, Ford and Tracy schools to the 90 Commercial St. administration building.The plan, set to begin in September, is supported by Brickett Principal Eileen Cole and Tracy Principal Pattye Griffin, who said Tracy parents support the busing plan. Tracy’s three kindergarten and three first-grade classes currently have more than 30 students apiece, Griffin said Friday.”If they stay status quo, we’re looking at mid-30s (class sizes) in first and second-grade, and 35 each in two fifth grades,” Griffin said.View a map of the schools to be bused. Click on each icon for more informationView Overcrowded Lynn schools to bus kindergarten students off campus in a larger mapBut Ford parents like Cheryl Sattiewhite and Deborah Hines plan to outline several objections to the busing plan during the Wednesday, June 19 hearing at the Lynn Vocational Technical Institute annex, 90 Commercial St. The 7 p.m. hearing will be held in the ground-floor Tiger’s Den meeting room with the committee discussing the kindergarten plan at 8 p.m. following the hearing.Hines is worried the busing plan will keep Ford kindergartners away from older siblings who attend the Highlands school and reduce the amount of time parents have at the end of the day to talk to teachers about school day concerns.”I’m worried there will not be that daily parent-teacher contact. I want to be able to have that spur-of-the-moment conversation,”The busing plan calls for converting the Commercial Street administration building’s second floor into 10 classrooms with administration offices moving to the former school annex building on Bennett Street.Ford will send 120 kindergartners in three buses back and forth to the Tech annex.”How will the transportation plan impact teaching time?” asked Sattiewhite, a Ford fourth grade parent.Cole said allowing Brickett kindergartners to attend the proposed “early childhood center” frees up three classrooms in overcrowded Brickett.Hines said Ford parents prefer reducing overcrowding in the school by moving fifth grade classes. Committee member Charlie Gallo said committee members “are going to listen to different points of view” Wednesday.”Class size is my concern. To say Tracy is filled to capacity is an understatement. Unless I hear a compelling reason, I do not anticipate changing my vote,” he said.Thor Jourgensen can be reached at [email protected].