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Panel Urges Middle School Shifts

Where students in eight of Fairfield's 11 elementary schools attend middle school could change starting with the 2011-12 school year. A three-person committee of the Board of Education has settled on a feeder option and voted to pass it along to the full board for its Aug. 24 agenda. Of six feeder plans considered, designated A-F, the committee recommended Option E.

Option E states that students from Jennings, Holland Hill, Osborn Hill and North Stratfield elementary schools will attend Fairfield Woods Middle School. Students at Riverfield, Roger Sherman, Mill Hill and Dwight will attend Roger Ludlowe and students at McKinley, Burr and Stratfield will attend Tomlinson Middle School.

The option also eliminates "singletons," meaning pupils from elementary schools who attend the same middle school would go on to the same high school. This would allow students to maintain friendships throughout their school years.

The new feeder plan is intended to deal with overcrowding. Fairfield Woods Middle School is undergoing renovations to accommodate a larger student population.

The decision to recommend just one suggestion sparked debate among committee members Tim Kery, Perry Liu and John Mitola.

"I thought we were going to provide options to the board," said Liu. "I don't think this provides options. It means three people, or two, are deciding how the full board should vote. It doesn't give them much to do. I don't think this is the right way to do this."

Liu voted against Option E, while Kery and Mitola voted in favor.

Kery disagreed with Liu. "No solution is perfect, but I think this gets us closest to the educational needs and the criteria's needs," he said. "If the committee has centered on one option, I don't think that's a bad thing; I think that's a good thing."

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