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Westford reports 4,591 students in fall snapshot; district flags classroom hotspots and out‑of‑district placements
Summary
District administrators told the committee the district is responsible for 4,591 students in the fall snapshot, noted roughly 130 students left over the summer (including 56 who moved out of state), and identified specific schools and grades with elevated class sizes and special‑program placements.
Westford Public Schools administrators reported a fall enrollment snapshot of 4,591 students and described a mix of enrollment shifts, out‑of‑district placements and localized class‑size pressures at the Sept. 12 School Committee meeting.
Courtney (district administrator) and Kathy (district data lead) presented the fall counts and placement breakdowns. They told the committee that roughly 130 students left the district over the summer; presenters said 56 students moved out of state, five students moved to homeschooling and two students aged out of special‑education services at age 21. The district reported 97 students attending the regional vocational school (Nashoba Tech); 30 students enrolled in other district public schools; 13 attending charter schools; 16 placed in special‑education collaboratives; 44 homeschooled students remaining in the town’s records; about 115 enrolled in in‑state parochial schools; and seven in out‑of‑state private or parochial programs.
Committee members raised concern about class sizes at several schools. Presenters said some grade sections are larger than typical historical norms: Robinson School had two first‑grade sections with about 24 students each; other schools (Day School and Chris Foley) showed higher counts in specific grades. Committee members and administrators said the district will continue to monitor rosters and class assignments and that physical classroom space also constrains adjustments. "To try to put another student in [a particular room] would be probably a fire hazard at this point," one committee member said when comparing classroom square footage.
Administrators also discussed special‑program placements and the district’s in‑district Roots program, a newer program for specialized needs. The district reported about five students enrolled in Roots at the start of the year; administrators said there were approximately 13 students with out‑of‑district placements whose needs match the Roots model. Gerard Coughlin said the district continually reviews out‑of‑district placements and aims, when appropriate, to re‑place students in‑district: "We are constantly looking at that," he said, noting that community referrals have been discussed by nearby directors but that capacity and program fit determine placements.
Facility utilization was another topic: presenters said Miller, Day and Chris Foley have spare capacity in part because some classrooms are dedicated to specialized programs whose students remain assigned to a single school for all day services. The committee discussed how those program assignments affect perceived under‑ or over‑utilization in different buildings.
Administrators said the district will report its official October 1 DESE count later in the month and will provide the committee with the annual January report that tracks students sent to vocational schools, collaboratives and out‑of‑district placements. Committee members asked that the district continue to flag grade‑level hotspots so the committee can present accurate, documented information to town partners about classroom conditions and staffing needs.
Next steps: DESE’s official October 1 count will be shared with the committee; district staff will continue to monitor rosters and communicate hotspots and program capacity to the committee.
