They were greeted with handouts and maps showing the current four redistricting plans being considered and were encouraged by school officials to ask questions and provide feedback to representatives as part of the biggest re-alignment of the city’s public schools in more than a decade.
Impacted by the coming final plan decision - to be later rendered by the Middletown Board of Education - will be students and their families who next school year will attend seven elementary schools and district’s magnet school Central Academy.
Middletown Schools Superintendent Deborah Houser was among the greeters as the audience filed into the school auditorium and she stressed the redistricting process is focused on those most affected.
“Neighborhood schools are very important to our community so we’re keeping that in mind as we are moving through this redistricting,” said Houser.
“And when you keep students at the forefront … and this is a big decision - it’s about keeping our 5th graders in their elementary buildings in their neighborhood schools. So we’re looking at enrollment across the (elementary) buildings.”
The focus is “optimal utilization” of school buildings, Houser told the audience, with an emphasize of enhancing student learning while efficiently using classrooms all the while trying to continue school families’ neighborhood proximity to schools.
A final school board decision on picking a plan, which would be in effect at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year in August, is now scheduled for late January or early February, said school officials.
It will be the first re-districting of the 5,900-student school system since 2011.
More than 3,300 students are enrolled in Middletown’s K-6 classes.
Besides the in-person feedback from school parents and school employees Wednesday evening, district officials also are continuing to solicit survey responses via its Middletown Schools’ website.
Officials said Middletown residents and other locals will be able to share their opinions on the four proposed redistricting plans through the end of this month.
Middletown school parent Charlotte Hacker was among the many parents eagerly examining the four proposed plans to weigh how they may impact her two elementary-age children.
“There’s only one option that will keep them at the school they are now attending so I’m not very happy with that. I feel it would completely turn my kids’ lives upside down if their was a change in their school,” said Hacker.
Deana Watson is both a school parent and an employee of the school system said curiosity about the far-reaching proposals brought her to the meeting.
“It’s important to be here and I want to hear what everybody has to say about it.”
Watson said she was grateful for the district’s extensive use of online parent surveys and detailed presentations of each of four plans being made easily available on the district’s website.
The plans, along with detailed school neighborhood maps, enrollment, classroom size, student walkability and percentages of residential homes within the proposed attendance school zones are also available for viewing and on a website of the private firm district officials are using to collect residents’ opinions.
“I got an email about this and they shared information on the school website. We also filled out a survey and they gave us many options to comment and concerns … and I do appreciate all of that.”
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