by Frank Schroth
Wally Heller is a 4th grader at the Cunningham Elementary School. He appeared along with his parents at the recent School Committee meeting. The principal, Karen Spaulding, was there too. Why? Because Wally along with Cunningham 3rd grader Arjun Sohur won a Cambridge Science Festival Curiosity Award.
The festival was sponsored in part by MIT and the National science Foundation. Mr. Heller was selected from ~1500 submissions. Wow. He read his submission which discussed his curiosity with and wonder about the sun. It concluded, “The sun is one powerful thing. Shine on!” Congratulations Wally!
Nick Fitzgerald and Nancy Warn are co-coaches of the MHS Debate Team. They appeared along with members of the team. The team has graduated from being a club to an elective at the high school. They went to the state finals this year where one of their pairs placed third. The team also partnered with MyTownMatters at the recent Milton Matters Candidates Forum.
An update on student residency from Assistant Superintendent John Phelan. The schools are tasked with ensuring that the students who attend Milton Public Schools live in town. Over the past 4 years the administration has made a concerted effort to ensure this is the case. There is a small team consisting of a part-time registrar, full-time residency coordinator, and two stipended police officers that spend approximately 76 hours per week on reviewing student residency status.
There are several measures used to ensure residency including in some instances home visits and notarized affidavits. Accoriding to Asst Superintendent Phelan there have bene 171 student cases investigated between September 2011 and April 2012: 101 were resolved, 38 students were excluded for violation of residency policy, and 63 re-established residency and are in compliance. There are currently 70 cases under review. On average over the last 3 years the schools have investigated approximately 140 cases and excluded 60 – 65 students per year.
It is not easy and without challenges. There is an increase in the number of families declaring “homeless status.”, the state law on guardianship is vague and continues to be challenged in court and with the DESE, and there is a rise in parents of school children moving back in with their parents.