Braintree Public Schools presents seven redistricting options, including possible closures and reuse of Old South

District staff and consultants from AppGeo/Sanborn presented seven redistricting and consolidation options at a public forum, outlining how closing one or more elementary schools and reopening Old South could change elementary attendance boundaries, building utilization and middle-school feeder patterns.

Jim (staff member) said the presentation was intended to solicit community feedback and that “Everything you will see tonight remains a work in progress. None of this is a final product.” Priya Sankalia, an AppGeo representative, walked participants through how student geocoding, neighborhood “components” and scenario simulations produced the options the district is considering.

The proposals respond to three related pressures: uneven class sizes across the six elementary schools, aging facilities and the district’s tight operating budget. District data presented at the forum show wide variance in utilization and class sizes: the slide deck lists Clarity at 368 capacity, Highlands at 398, Hollis at 564, Liberty at 376, Morrison at 400 and Ross at 292; Highlands was shown at about 89% utilization and Liberty at about 99%, while Hollis and Ross were shown at roughly 65% and 64% respectively. Jim said those building-capacity figures came from a survey of principals about classroom spaces.

The consultant team said it built 36 neighborhood "components" — discrete, walkable…