Alternatives Committee to Discuss Eliminating Belmont School Boundaries

The Alternatives Committee—a group of parents, staff and board members—will meet tonight to discuss the option of eliminating boundaries for elementary schools in the district.

The idea of eliminating boundaries came to light at the , when board trustees planned to vote on a way to curb capacity problems at two of the district's Belmont elementary schools, and .

The board, however, postponed its vote after board member Cathy Wright introduced the possibility of not having boundaries in the school district.

Tonight will be the first time the Alternatives Committee has discussed that option since the June 2 board meeting.

Wright said today the details of that option have to be discussed to see if it could be implemented in Belmont. For instance, eliminating boundaries, she said, would require criteria to determine who goes to what school.

"It basically eliminates all the boundaries," Wright said of that possibility.

At the last school board meeting, board members appeared to be split in their decision on how to handle the district's capacity problem.

Board members Brian Matthews and Robert Tashjian favored redefining school boundaries, while Board President Andy Stulbarg said he preferred implementing a lottery system. Board member Chuck Velschow was unable to voice his opinion due to a conflict of interest.

Should boundary changes be implemented, areas 41, 42 and 43 would be moved from Central Elementary to as well as Cipriani areas 20, 23 and 24 to Central, and areas 25 and 26 to Fox.

Wright told Patch today she doesn't necessarily favor eliminating boundaries over another direction.

"I’m just keeping all of my options open," she said.

Tonight's Alternatives Committee meeting will be at 5 p.m. at . The meeting is open to the public, but only those who are part of the committee will be allowed to speak.

The Alternatives Committee is comprised of 22 members, including parents, district staff and board members Wright and Velschow.

The school board is scheduled to vote on the boundary issue at Thursday night's school board meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. at .