Medford School Committee reviews public feedback on reconfiguration; no public comment at Monday meeting

By Sangmin Song

The Medford School Committee reviewed community feedback on a possible reconfiguration of the city’s elementary and middle schools Monday night, while no one from the public came forward to comment.

The update advanced the district’s work on “Option 2,” a proposal that would shift all elementary schools to Kindergarten through grade 4, turn the McGlynn Middle School into a grade 5–6 school and move all grade 7–8 students to the Andrews Middle School.

Interim Superintendent Suzanne Galusi said any changes would not begin until the 2027–28 school year. A task force, which will be appointed in January, will examine whether Option 2 is workable, she said.

“The recommendation that we made during this meeting was to review Option 2 a little bit further, just to see the viability,” Galusi said. “This task force is just going to look at the viability of the plan and recommend a path, [and] no decisions have been made yet.”

Survey draws 160 participants

A total of 160 people responded to a districtwide survey sent out two weeks ago, including 115 parents and caregivers, 44 educators and one student

“Participants reflected strong interest in understanding how this plan supports students, families and long-term district goals,” Galusi said. “People really want to know what this looks like for students, families and the district.”

Five major themes emerged from the survey responses, reflecting what families and staff want the task force to study as it reviews Option 2, Galusi said:

Student transitions and developmental fit: Respondents asked how additional transitions would affect student belonging, mental health and learning. Many also questioned what fifth grade would look like academically and socially in a 5–6 school.

Specialized education: Families and educators stressed the need for continuity in English learner and special education programs, including whether support teams would move with students.

Space and capacity: Several respondents questioned whether Andrews can house all seventh- and eighth-grade students with full programming, especially as new housing developments are expected to come to Medford.

Logistics: Comments focused on transportation eligibility, bus routes, possible staggered start times and after-school options for fifth- and sixth-grade students.

Equity and community: Some respondents supported ending the lottery, while others raised concerns about losing school identity. Several asked about ensuring both middle schools are resourced equitably.

No public comment

The committee opened the floor for comment after the presentation, but no one spoke either in person or online.

Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said the survey was “a great start” and noted the task force will be appointed in January and begin meeting in February.

Committee member Erika Reinfeld said the task force should look closely at other districts that have shifted grade spans.

“I definitely saw in the data a request that the task force look at some case studies of other schools that have made similar transitions,” Reinfeld said. “Boston was mentioned, Arlington, Salem and Andover were the ones that I saw or heard from people.”

Galusi said she has already contacted several of the referenced districts to gather comparative information for the task force.

Once launched, the task force will work through the winter and release its findings in the spring. The School Committee will then decide whether to advance Option 2 or pursue alternative solutions to overcrowding and enrollment pressures.

“This is an early stage,” Galusi said. “We’ll keep gathering input and paying attention to what families are telling us.”

Sangmin Song is a senior journalism student. This story is part of a partnership between Gotta Know Medford and the Boston University Department of Journalism.