Milford’s elementary schools will not return to a K-5 format next year, but possibly the following year.
At Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, the board voted 8-2 not to change the elementary school configuration for the 2014-15 school year. The board had already established that it would keep the current configuration for another school year when it set its budget priorities for 2014-15, but members reaffirmed that sentiment with their vote Monday.
Parents have spoken out against the K-2/3-5 configuration that the board moved to several years ago, saying the split elementary schools make it difficult for them, especially if they have children at two or three different schools. Before the change, Milford’s elementary schools housed grades kindergarten through five.
A Long Range Planning Committee, heeding parents’ wishes, recently recommended that the schools return to a K-5 format. The committee recommended against making that change for the next school year, however.
While the Long Range Planning Committee has recommended going back to a K-5 format, the Board of Education still has to decide if that is the format that will be followed.
School Board Chairman Susan Glennon asked the board members Monday night if they want to consider other alternatives, such as K-4 or K-6, but most agreed they need more information before discussing that further.
Two board members voted against the move to keep the current K-2/3-5 configuration in place for next school year: John DeRosa (R) and Dr. Heidi Gold-Dworkin (D) voted in opposition.