[CabotCommunity] CABOT SPACE CRUNCH SURVEY RESULTS

[Jo Doherty]

CABOT SPACE CRUNCH SURVEY RESULTS

 

THANK YOU to everyone who completed the Cabot Space Crunch survey!  Those in
the professional survey world tell us our 

level of participation was very high - 191 responses from our community of
313 families.  A lot of work has gone 

into enabling the Cabot community to have this opportunity to voice its
opinions, so please take a few moments to read 

the whole of this email which has 3 parts:

 

1.                   Feedback to YOU, the Cabot Community

A summary of the survey is provided below BUT we highly recommend that you
look at ALL the survey 

results & the comments made. It is very easy to read & not time consuming. 

Just click on this link:
http://www.cabotpto.org/announce/space_crunch_survey/ 

 

2.             Feedback to Public Officials

These results have also been sent to Mayor Cohen, Superintendent Young & all
members of the School Committee.

We provided a paper summary of the results & all comments made, as well as
the above website link to the e-summary.  

See the PTO bulletin board for a copy of our cover letter & survey summary.

 

3.             IMPORTANT Next steps

*    The Cabot PTO has arranged for 4 members of the School Committee to
visit Cabot this Wednesday to see the current 

state of our school. This will help them better translate the paper reports
they see which identify school space & utilization.

 

*    We are trying to set up an evening meeting with a couple of School
Committee members to give the 

Cabot community the opportunity to ask them questions. As soon as we have
details confirmed we will announce the date.

Remember this is likely to be the very last opportunity you may have to ask
direct questions of School Committee members 

before they make their decision on December 11th.

 

*    Continue to show a strong Cabot presence at the remaining 3 School
Committee meetings: 

On November 13th the feasibility report for possible modular sites at the
space impacted schools will be presented.

On November 27th enrollment projections will be announced which will
identify how many more classrooms Cabot will 

need for Fall 2007 and Dr. Young will provide his recommendations as to
which options should be used to address 

the short term space situation. At the final meeting on December 11th the
School Committee will vote on what options 

they will use to solve the short term space crunch at Cabot. 

Cabot needs to continue to demonstrate a strong presence at these meetings. 

In our opinion if you have to choose between these meetings the last 2 are
the more important ones.

All meetings are at 7:30pm in the Education Center located at 100 Walnut
Street, Newtonville.  

 

 

Highlights of the Survey 

 

Respondents identified these top guiding principles for the School
Committee:  

keep siblings together; keep current students together; maintain a small
class size; and keep renovation plans for Cabot on track.

 

Installing a modular classroom(s) is clearly the most popular option, but if
a cohort of students had to be moved, over 92% would prefer 

moving an entire grade of students to another location, rather than moving
one to two classes of students. Of the six grades, 

respondents would be most willing to move the kindergarten grade (66%).

 

Views on neighborhood schools - respondents expressed a preference for
students to attend one neighborhood school 

(81% somewhat agree/agree/strongly agree), but were receptive to students
attending one of two elementary schools (57%).  

Respondents rejected the idea of assignment to one of three or four schools.

 

The survey reflects the following views on specific options:

 

Installing a modular classroom is the most popular option (89% willing/very
willing).

 

Increasing class size to over 25 students is not popular (74% not
willing/not willing at all).

 

Implementing "border zoning" for new students has some support (63% somewhat
willing/willing/very willing).  

Implementing "border zoning" for all students has less support (33% somewhat
willing/willing/very willing).

 

Moving an entire grade of students and teachers to another school for one
year has some support (57% somewhat willing/willing/very willing).

 

Replacing the art classroom with "art on a cart" is not favored (53% not
willing/not at all willing).  Replacing the music classroom 

with "music on a cart" is not favored (56% not willing/not at all willing).

 

 

A full summary of the results is easy to view and you can also view the open
comments section, too.  

Parents have included some very thoughtful comments - take a look!

 

 

Jo Doherty

Cabot PTO Co-President

11 Leonard Avenue,

West Newton, MA 02465

617-332-1530

jcdoherty11 at comcast.net

 

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