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Acton-Boxborough committee hears steering-group narrowing that removes Conant from some options, prompting community concern
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Summary
The AB Forward steering committee has narrowed options after community input; one set of remaining options no longer includes the Conant facility, prompting grief and calls for broader outreach from residents and local officials.
The Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee received an update from the AB Forward steering committee on proposals to reorganize grade configurations and school buildings, and heard residents express concern after committee votes removed several options from consideration.
Adam (school committee member) told the committee the steering group reviewed more than 1,500 completed surveys, hundreds of focus-group responses and public-forum comments, and "removed additional options" during its exercise to narrow choices. He said that, by eliminating certain options the committee had effectively removed the Conant facility from the remaining configurations: "the decision... meant that the remaining options did not include the Conant facility," he said.
Members and speakers described a mixture of practical constraints and community emotion. Peter, the superintendent, said the steering committee faced decisions driven by space and budget feasibility and that some options were eliminated because the district "cannot fit our sixth graders in the middle school" or because of prohibitive financial impact. Several committee members and residents emphasized the sense of loss tied to school buildings: "it's not just a building to a lot of people," Tori said, noting that memories and local traditions are connected to places.
Public commenters urged more transparent outreach and easier access to accurate information. A resident noted that "members of the steering committee aren't listed on the website," and said many Boxborough residents only recently learned about the process. Kristen Hilberg, identified as a chair of a select board, urged collaboration between town and district officials, and relayed that select-board members are hearing residents' concerns and intend to work with the committee.
The committee stressed that removing options during the steering committeeprocess does not equal a final decision. Members said the steering committee is reducing the number of scenarios to allow deeper analysis of remaining alternatives; further steering and committee meetings are scheduled through January, with more public opportunities on Dec. 2, Dec. 4, Dec. 18 and a broader forum planned Jan. 8 before a Jan. 22 vote.
The school committee encouraged residents to use the AB Forward website as the primary source for documents and timelines and to submit written comments through official channels.
