Parents warn repeated open‑enrollment school reassignments harm students' stability

Two parents urged the Milton School Board on Monday to provide clearer long‑term plans for open‑enrollment placements after their children were reassigned to different elementary schools, saying frequent moves undermine students' emotional stability and complicate transportation and after‑school care.

At issue are recent placement changes for open‑enrollment students that moved some children away from the schools where they had been attending. Parent Kelsey Zumorski said her child, entering second grade, will face a third elementary‑school placement and that third graders are being shifted because Milton West is eliminating a third‑grade classroom. "That stability and relationship she has built will be disrupted once again," Zumorski said. She added parents were learning about reassignments informally and worried the district was placing students where they would “fit” rather than based on long‑term planning.

The parents said the reassignment affects more than convenience: they raised academic concerns tied to state testing and school performance accountability. Zumorski said students who move before high‑stakes testing may skew school performance measures because those students have not been receiving the same instruction at a single school.

Sarah Pearson, another parent who described her child’s progress with anxiety at Milton, said the district’s notices caused "real concern" for her family. She described deliberate work with the school to improve her daughter’s social and emotional functioning and asked the board to consider potential future transitions for open‑enrolled students. "Is this something that, because we're open enrolled, my child is going to have to see another elementary school shift after second grade and third grade?" Pearson asked.

Board members listened and asked that the questions be passed to appropriate staff for follow‑up; the speakers were part of the public comment period, and no board action was taken during the meeting on the topic. The board chair reminded speakers that public comment is not a back‑and‑forth with board members and that staff will be the point of contact for follow‑up.

Parents in the room asked for clearer written guidance on how open‑enrollment placements are determined and for advance notice when a placement could require a student to change schools. The board did not announce any immediate policy changes at the meeting.

Forward‑looking notes: board members and staff said they will monitor enrollments and will provide updates at future meetings; parents asked the district to provide more proactive communication about anticipated placement changes before the school year starts.