Teachers, parents and students warned the Worcester School Committee on Feb. 20 that a proposed tier change for the 2026–27 school year that would place Burncoat Middle School on a different bell schedule from Burncoat High School would damage vertically aligned fine and performing arts magnet programs.

Magnet teachers, including Brentwood and Burncoat arts department leads, told the committee that the middle‑ and high‑school programs share rehearsal spaces, ensembles, mentors and teaching staff. Amy Cueley, arts department head at Burncoat High School, said the current schedule enables eighth‑grade students to “play with the more advanced high school ensemble” and allows joint rehearsals for the fall play and spring musical. “This type of differentiation would not be possible with the move to tier 3 because of the shared spaces,” Cueley said.

Parents said the current alignment allows high school students to mentor middle school students and that a schedule change would force duplicative performances and extra costs. Nelly Medina, a parent and District E resident, argued the move would harm gender‑equity and anti‑bullying efforts by reducing continuity across grades. Student speakers, including a Burncoat High student who served as stage manager, described mentoring relationships and shared auditorium use.

Administration asked the committee to refer scheduling questions and logistical analysis to the appropriate standing committee (Facilities/Operations/Grouping — referenced in meeting as “FOG”) to ensure space and transportation implications are examined. The committee referred the item for further administrative review and asked for information on impacts to shared rehearsal spaces, after‑school programs, staffing and transportation.

Why it matters: Burncoat’s magnet programs are vertically structured across grades 7–12; district‑level schedule changes that break that alignment could affect program quality, staffing and costs. Several speakers said specialized magnet offerings depend on coordinated schedules and shared facilities.

Committee members and staff agreed the item requires operational analysis; the administration was asked to return with options and details on transportation, space usage and potential budget impacts before any final schedule change.