Berlin-Boylston panel approves one kindergarten school-choice spot, rejects broader expansion

The Berlin-Boylston Regional School Committee on July 22 approved a single kindergarten school-choice slot at Berlin Elementary School for an employee’s child and declined several motions to add additional school-choice seats across the district.

Meagan Grill, chair of the Berlin-Boylston Regional School Committee, presided over the meeting. A motion by Mr. Michael Totman to grant one kindergarten spot at BES for an employee’s student, seconded by Lori-Anne Hart, passed on a roll-call vote of five in favor and one abstention (Jessica Deglialberti abstained).

Committee debate centered on classroom capacity, instructional quality and budget pressures. Cinthia Sykes, Boylston Elementary School principal, told the board she would like a kindergarten slot and one or two second-grade slots reserved in part for staff children but emphasized that July counts represent what is available at the moment. John Campbell, Berlin Memorial principal, said Berlin classrooms are sized for about 17 students and that most grades now exceed the district’s prior target for students advancing to Tahanto. Tahanto Principal Lisa Sequeira presented proposed slots for the middle and high school grades but the motions to add those slots failed.

Committee members split on whether adding seats would dilute class-size goals or serve families already connected to staff. Mr. Totman voiced reservations about increasing elementary enrollments beyond ideal class sizes; other members argued for accepting more slots where space allows. The members also discussed that the state reimbursement rate applies to school-choice students and that exit-interview data is now being collected to track why families leave the district.

Several specific motions were recorded and voted on during the meeting. An amendment to add two second-grade slots (moved by Jessica Deglialberti, seconded by Julie Lee) failed on a 2–4 roll call. A separate motion to add five slots at Berlin Memorial School (moved by Julie Lee, seconded by Jessica Deglialberti) failed. A proposal by Mrs. Lee to add 22 slots to Tahanto across multiple grades was also defeated on a 2–4 vote.

The committee did not adopt a broader expansion of school choice this session; it approved only the single kindergarten slot for the employee’s child. The meeting moved to executive session later that evening and adjourned from open session at 7:05 p.m.