Tori (School Committee chair) and steering committee members reviewed nine reorganization options developed by consultant DMG and asked the public for focused feedback on Oct. 9, ahead of a month of listening sessions and surveys. "We all want more details," Tori said, summarizing steering-committee feedback after DMG's presentation.

Why it matters: AB Forward is the district's reorganization process intended to address a multi-year budget shortfall while preserving educational programs. The plan could affect building configurations, staff assignments and programming across Acton and Boxborough.

What happened: DMG recapped outreach to date and presented nine options with a simple financial sustainability score (red to green). Members and public commenters said the single financial score should not be the only decision metric and requested additional data on academic, social-emotional and family-engagement impacts. The steering committee asked Hanover Research to prepare a research brief on grade-level configuration effects, transition planning and impacts on specialized populations; that brief is expected for the committee's Nov. 18 meeting.

Public engagement and next steps: The steering committee will open a month of public outreach that mirrors the materials reviewed by the steering committee. DMG and the steering committee said they will treat feedback types equally (focus groups, listening sessions, surveys and emails) when synthesizing input. The steering committee will reconvene in a month to consider community feedback, DMG analysis and Hanover Research findings before narrowing options for the school committee.

Process context: Committee members and the administration emphasized that the exercise responds to constrained district finances and is intended to prioritize student and family needs within fiscal boundaries. Steering-committee members encouraged commenters to focus on constructive questions and make use of published materials and listening sessions.

Upcoming dates: Hanover Research deliverable and steering committee reconvening are scheduled for Nov. 18. The district also plans tri-board outreach with both towns' select boards and finance committees on Oct. 22 to brief municipal partners and solicit feedback.