Brockton plans dozens of classroom moves to house rising elementary and special‑education enrollment

Superintendent Dr. Taheleianni told the School Committee that rising elementary enrollment — particularly among students requiring special education services — requires a set of classroom reassignments for the 2025‑26 school year to create complete program “strands” and free space in school buildings.

The moves, the superintendent said, are intended to minimize disruption while restoring continuity of services for students with disabilities and to add pre‑K seats at the George building.

Under the proposal presented at the meeting: two pre‑K classrooms will be added at the George, requiring the district diagnostic team to relocate to North Middle School; a pre‑K life‑skills class of six students will move from the George to Hancock; two life‑skills classes will move from Baker to Hancock, impacting about 21 students; two kindergarten ASD classrooms currently housed at Brookfield will be moved to Davis and an additional ASD classroom will be added, a shift that will require roughly 24 Brookfield students to move to Davis; two pre‑K classrooms at Gilmore are slated to dissolve and be replaced with two kindergarten life‑skills classrooms, meaning about 24 pre‑K students will be reassigned districtwide by proximity; and the district will add a grade‑6 life‑skills classroom at PLUF so those students may remain at their current school. The plan also calls for establishing city resource room strands at North Middle School by moving 13 students from East.

“I know this is a lot to take in and it certainly is going to impact students and families around the district,” the superintendent said. She said the district will contact each family and work with school teams to prepare students for transitions.

Committee members asked about cost and transportation. School Committee member Miss Azek asked whether moves would add bus routes and what the financial impact would be. The superintendent said the district will perform the moves in‑house and that the most significant near‑term cost would be classroom furniture; that expenditure has been included in the district’s budget investment plan and carryover. She said she would report back to the committee about any transportation impacts.

The administration emphasized that these reassignments are not a permanent long‑term solution to overall elementary space shortages; the superintendent said the district will present several longer‑term options for committee consideration in coming months. No formal vote was taken tonight; the presentation was a preview and the administration asked the committee for feedback before public outreach to affected families.