With Woburn Street Off the Table, District to Form Working Group

After the Reading School Committee voted on Monday night to officially end the town’s pursuit of Woburn Street School as an option for full-day kindergarten, the future of the plans remains in limbo. One thing that is clear, however, is that the district wants community input to determine what the next step will be.

Superintendent of Schools John Doherty confirmed that the town’s pursuit of Woburn Street school came to an end on Monday in a decision that was expected going into the meeting. After studying the site, it became clear that it was not the right fit logistically or financially, Doherty said.

The superintendent said the next step for the district is to form a working group that includes community members in order to determine what could be the right move to work towards solidifying a venue for early childhood classes.

In a letter to parents, Doherty asked any community members interested in joining the working group to contact the Reading Public Schools Administration Offices at (781) 944-5800.

He added that possibilities include “renting additional classroom space, building additional classrooms at some or all of the five elementary schools, installing modular classrooms at some or all of the five elementary schools, or constructing an early childhood center.”

According to Doherty, there is no specific date the district hopes to make a decision by. The goal is to study the options over the next two months and then come up with a recommendation.

“We’re essentially taking a step back and forming the working group to look at options to see what is most feasible for the schools and for the town,” said Doherty. “We are going to look at options that make sense from an educational and financial standpoint. We aren’t looking at specific sites at the moment.”

Doherty said he had hoped Woburn Street would be a location to fit the town’s criteria, but when considering all of the factors the fit just was not right.

“Certainly there was a level of disappointment. A lot of time and effort went into that, and everyone was disappointed we didn’t have a more favorable outcome,” said Doherty. “We will learn from the information we gathered and look for the best option that is in the best interest of our students.”