space in 2nd grade but there is available space in 4th grade. At Douglas, there is available space in both 2nd and 4th grade.
➢ The family’s two children would both be placed at Douglas. They can also be placed on the waitlist for Merriam for the following year.
A family moves to Boxborough and is enrolling their 3rd grade child and their 6th grade child into the District. They would like both children to attend Blanchard. While there is space in 3rd grade, the 6th grade classes are at the high end of the District’s class size guidelines. There are sections of 6th grade at other schools that are at the lower end of the class size guidelines.
➢ Both of the children are entitled to the “hometown” guarantee, and would be placed at Blanchard
A family moves to Acton and is enrolling their 2nd grade child who receives special education services. They live within walking distance to the Douglas School, and the family would prefer to attend Douglas given the geographic proximity. After reviewing the child’s IEP, it is recommended that the student be placed at Conant to participate in the Connections program.
➢ The student would be placed at Conant.
A family moves to Acton with a 1st grade student, a 3rd grade student, and a 5th grade student. The 3rd grade student receives special education services, the other two siblings do not. The 3rd grade student needs to be placed at Conant to access the Connections program. However, the 1st grade classes and 5th grade classes at Conant are larger than those grade-level classes at other elementary schools. The 1st grade and 5th grade classes at Conant also have wait lists.
➢ All three of the siblings would be enrolled at Conant.
Reasons for Picking Schools by Families - Current and Historical We do not have formal survey data of elementary families that collects information about what factors influence a family’s decision about which school(s) to prioritize. Below is a list (likely incomplete) of reasons that have often been shared anecdotally. The weight that an individual family may place on one or more factors likely varies. And how frequent any of the below considerations are a factor for a family is also unclear. ● Geographic proximity of residence to school (i.e. “in their neighborhood”), including a desire to attend Blanchard as a Boxborough resident ● Features of the physical school building (i.e. newer construction) ● Word of mouth experiences from trusted peers, neighbors and friends ● Based on the presentations offered by the schools during the Kindergarten tours and impressions of school leaders and staff ● A desire to be at a school where there is a higher concentration of students and families that may share certain aspects of identity, such as racial identity or cultural background
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