East Providence committee approves middle school enrollment realignment plan

EAST PROVIDENCE — Beginning in the fall, students from Hennessey Elementary School will no longer graduate to Martin Middle School but will attend Riverside Middle School instead.

At its meeting Monday night, Feb. 13, the East Providence School Committee approved the recommendation of assistant superintendent Dr. Sandra Forand to make the change. The committee did so by a 4-1 vote. Ward 2 representative Tony Ferreira, in whose district Hennessey is located, was the lone dissenting voice.

In her presentation to the committee Dr. Forand said the realignment was being made to make the educational experience of middle schoolers fairer for all students throughout the district. With that in mind, she laid out a three-year plan to level more closely the populations at RMS and MMS.

“We really need to start looking long range at what we’re doing at our middle schools,” she explained, adding the change would address expected enrollments at both buildings in future years while trying “to keep things equitable” for students and staff.

So, beginning with the 2017-18 term, the 51 current fifth graders from Hennessey will enter sixth grade at Riverside, bringing the anticipated population there up to 504 students while reducing the enrollment at Martin to 705.

Martin’s enrollment this year is 755 compared to 435 at Riverside. By year three of the plan, the 2019-20 term, Martin’s expected population will decrease to 663 students while Riverside’s will increase to 586.

Among the reasons cited for the by Dr. Forand were as follows: allowing for the same classes to be offered at both schools; offering the same support services (literacy, numeracy, special education) at each; providing the same number of support staff (guidance, psychologists) at both buildings; balancing student populations in terms of size and demographics; making it easier to manage student needs and behaviors; lowering class size while increasing personalization; offering equal opportunities for extra and co-curricular activities; and increasing the ability for teachers to collaborate.

Reducing class sizes, especially at Martin, was another of Dr. Forand’s points of emphasis.

With the change, Martin’s average class sizes per grade starting in the fall will be 22 for sixth, 25 for seventh and 27 for eighth. At Riverside, those numbers will be 23, 16 and 28, respectively,

By the target term of 2019-20, Martin’s average class sizes in grades 6-8 will be reduced to 22, 22 and 24, respectively, with Riverside’s expected to be 21, 19 and 21.

Throughout the transition, Dr. Forand added, staffing changes will be made at both schools to address the specific needs at Martin and Riverside.