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Parent urges Pawtucket to stop annual reapplication for cross-school transfers
Summary
At a March 24 Pawtucket School Committee meeting, parent Jason Gallion said requiring families to reapply each year for permission to attend a nonhome school caused undue stress and asked that accepted elementary transfers be grandfathered.
Jason Gallion, a longtime Pawtucket resident and former district employee, told the School Committee that the district's practice of making families reapply each year for permission to attend a non-home school imposes unnecessary stress and disruptions for children.
Gallion said his daughter, who previously attended Barrier (Barrier Elementary), thrived after an initial transfer: "She was three-time student of the month, art student of the year, great test scores..." He recounted that he submitted reapplication paperwork in April, was told the space was full, and then learned in mid-August that the transfer request had been denied. "My daughter is not a number on a spreadsheet," Gallion said, asking the committee to consider grandfathering accepted elementary transfers for the duration of elementary school.
When pressed about recourse, Gallion said he was told by district staff that families had "no recourse," and he described the reapplication process as unpredictable and emotionally stressful for parents and children. He asked the superintendent and committee to reconsider the reapplication policy.
Superintendent Buck acknowledged Gallion and took notes; the committee did not vote on transfer-policy changes that evening but indicated staff would follow up.
