The district will have five elementary schools. Blanchard remains a K-6 school. The Boardwalk Campus and the Parker-Damon Campus will each house two separate schools: one for lower elementary (K-3) and one for upper elementary (4-6).

No, once children are placed into a building, they stay in the same building during the transition from lower to upper elementary school

This option was chosen to maintain the "small school" feel that families prefer. Option 6, which would have created two 950-student schools, was rejected because it felt too daunting for young children. Option 5v2 allows for better grouping of students for special services while keeping the total number of students in each building at a comfortable level.

The district faces a major budget deficit. Delaying the move would require making much deeper cuts to the junior high and high schools or moving students around this year without a permanent plan. The School Committee determined that a one-time, total reorganization was better for the community than a process that dragged on for several years and caused repeated disruptions.

Specific details on new names for the schools are not yet finalized. The district’s current priority is the safe and smooth transition of students and staff into their new buildings.

The district is exploring the possibility of placing some Acton students at Blanchard. This would help manage school sizes across all buildings and could help soften the transition for the district as a whole.

The consultant uses computer mapping to look at neighborhood clusters, school capacity, and natural boundaries like highways. They use a variety of data points including housing density and historical patterns in terms of student population density in different areas, projected construction and enrollment projections. This data has been collected from town planners from both Acton and Boxborough, as well as NESDEC who recently performed an in depth enrollment and demographic study for the District.  They will create several different "scenarios" or maps for the School Committee and public to review before a final decision is made.

The terms “Flex Zones” and “Buffer Zones” are used interchangeably. These are geographic areas where the district can choose which school a new student from a Flex Zone attends based on which building has more space. This helps the district manage enrollment without having to redraw boundary lines every time a new housing development is built.

No. Once a student is assigned to a school from a Flex Zone, they will stay at that school through 6th grade. If the older sibling is still at the school, their younger siblings will also follow them to that same school to keep families together.

Typically, a one-mile radius is considered a walking distance in Massachusetts. For the Boardwalk campus, the consultants will specifically look at both the main entrance and the Elm Street boardwalk entrance to make sure the calculations are accurate for families who walk.

No, the reason for the annual verification process is to confirm that the student and their family continue to reside in the same placement zone.

Yes. Because all three campuses are located on a similar latitude, the district may need to be creative and "wrap" certain northern or eastern sections of town to specific schools to keep student numbers balanced.

Contiguous zones are neighborhoods that are connected or touch each other; these are simpler and better for busing. Satellite zones are separate areas that are assigned to a school to help balance the mix of student backgrounds. The School Committee will weigh these tradeoffs when choosing a final map.

The district will identify students with two homes within the district to assess how the new boundaries affect them. We will work with families to understand transportation needs, including whether busing can serve both locations.

 If your child has an IEP and is placed into a specialized program, they will attend the school where the specialized program is located. The District is responsible for providing transportation for your child.

If you have multiple elementary-aged children and one or more is placed into a specialized program, you can decide for the child not in the program either your geography-based assignment or the school where the specialized program is housed.

The district will use geographic zones to move entire neighborhoods together whenever possible. After school assignments are sent in April, families can choose to share their names with others in the same school. This helps parents identify peers and suggest "peer cohorts" to help staff with classroom placements.

 The schools will rely on the "Responsive Classroom" practices that students already trust. Daily Morning Meetings, interactive modeling, collaborative rule-making, and more, all help students build relationships and feel safe. The district will offer school tours in June and August so students can see their new spaces before the first day of school. In addition, other resources and supportive transition opportunities are being explored. Family resources can be found on the AB Forward Community Wellness webpage:

 Exceptions will be made for students in specialized special education programs that require specific equipment. While there are no automatic exceptions for other students, the district is actively looking for "creative ways" to minimize disruption and be as empathetic as possible to individual family needs.

The district partners with Cartwheel Care for student therapy referrals and parent guidance and Care Solace to help students, staff, and families find mental health providers. Families should contact their school counselor to access these services. Additional resources can be found on the AB Forward Community Wellness webpage.

While class sizes will increase slightly, they will mostly stay within district guidelines. We anticipate Kindergarten will be around 20 students, Grades 1-3 will be about 22 (with a few at 23), and upper grades will typically have 24 students, with some classes at 25 or 26.

We recognize this is a critical transition. The district is currently working to see what flexibility exists to support these students so they do not feel overwhelmed by moving twice in two years.

The district is surveying teachers to understand their interests. Assignments will be based on student needs, building a balanced school culture, and contractual requirements regarding seniority.

 Yes. Blanchard will be led by Mr. Votto. The Boardwalk Schools will be led by Ms. Warren (Lower) and Mr. Wolpe (Upper). The Parker-Damon Schools will be led by Ms. Gavin (Lower) and Ms. Nealon (Upper).

Principals already understand the "unique nuances" of their buildings, such as the layout and how recess, lunch, and safety drills work. Keeping them, and their administrative teams, in familiar settings helps the transition run more smoothly for everyone.

The district expects about $2 million in annual savings. To pay for the initial costs of moving furniture and equipment, the district will use about $1 million from its reserve funds.

If the budget fails, the district may be forced into a "1/12th budget." This means the district would be allocated 1/12 of its current FY26 budget until such time as a new budget is passed.  Because there are automatic increases that go into effect on July 1 such as health insurance end employee contractual obligations, this is a crisis state that would create a $4 million emergency deficit. It would lead to immediate, unplanned staff cuts at all levels, K-12.

No. While the Town Meeting votes on the funding (how much money the schools get), the School Committee has the sole legal authority to decide how schools are structured and where students are placed.

The contract is for $53,095. The district only pays for work that the consultant actually completes.

Geographic boundary decisions are expected by early April. Individual student school assignments will be shared with families right after April vacation.

Classroom lists will be shared in mid-June. This is earlier than the usual August timeline so that students can meet their new classmates over the summer.

Moving companies will begin transporting furniture and boxes in late June. Teachers will gain access to their new classrooms around August 10th.

Yes, bus routes will change because the zones are changing. Official bus routes will be published around August 17th, which is the standard time for the district.