4 thoughts on “Residents Worry if Renovated Schools Will be Big Enough for Future Enrollment

  1. Magoon is a total idiot or at the very best someone who totally disregards evidence to the contrary. I imagine Magoon has not spent more than ten minutes in Cunniff during a school day. Apparently where the students are crammed into the cafetorium is considered s special program. Where did they find this guy? Cunniff not crowded? Too many special programs?
    But Hosmer and Lowell too small? Is this Magoon for real?

  2. Schools are a real concern for the parents and the grandparents of students. I suggest that we identify and quantify the problems before we start fighting over who is right or wrong. All that really matters is that the children of this town get a very good education at a fair price.

  3. Chris, I never said that the Cunniff isn’t crowded, I said that the crowding isn’t due to some of the new projects recently built in Town, as they have generated very few students. I’d be happy to discuss my reasoning further if you want to contact me. Thanks

  4. I believe there were some inaccurate statements in this article. All the schools,except for the Cunniff, were larger in square footage than required by present MSBA standards. The real problems seem to rest in how the spaces are configured for current teaching modalities and standards, our aging systems, and the questions around projected enrollment figures. As one administrator noted, Watertown has had higher enrollment figures in the past but teaching space needs have changed given state and federal mandates. From the materials presented, the Cunniff school is clearly under the size standards and presents the most complexity regarding renovation, additions, or teardown and rebuild given the water table and the limited space for expansion. The “squeeze” is of definite concern here. There has also been some talk regarding the ideal size of an elementary school being between 450-500 students, parents’ desire for neighborhood schools, and how to balance out the enrollment numbers across town. I have attended all the meetings. From everything I have heard the Cuniff is our smallest school and seems to have the highest number of needs that have to be addressed.

    I agree with John Ovian. Fighting over who is right or wrong without info is pointless. We need to address problems and issues thoughtfully with common sense and transparency looking at needs vs. wants and making sure our kids get a “very good education at a fair price.”

    As to Chris’s comments, I have no idea who you are and if you have attended any of the Steering Committee or Public Forum meetings. Given your strong feelings, I hope you get involved and bring your questions to the next meeting which will be August 3rd, 6:00pm at the Phillips School, 3rd floor. Just saying, the personal attacks/name calling do nothing to further the conversation regarding the future of WPS. We need to move the ball forward – together.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *