Plan Would Close Vaunted Longfellow School

Cambridge students and parents were shocked this week to learn that Cambridge’s Longfellow School could close next fall.

A plan released late last week by Superintendent of Schools Bobbie J. D’Alessandro would force the Longfellow School to merge with two other elementary schools and create a larger “international” magnet school.

The plan, which will be presented in full to School Committee members next week and voted on Nov. 19, aims to combat the city’s declining enrollment in elementary schools. Currently, Cambridge schools face a $750,000 deficit and an 11.8 percent drop in enrollment.

D’Alessandro’s plan would merge the Longfellow, Amigos, and King Schools into one school in the King building.

Some parents speculate that this could force some of the Longfellow students to be shuffled throughout the school system.

The change would rip apart Longfellow School itself, which is currently composed of two programs.

The Intensive Studies Program (ISP), currently housed in the Longfellow School, would move to the Kennedy School. Meanwhile, the King Open School, which shares one building with the King School, would move to the Longfellow School’s building.

The Fitzgerald School would become an arts magnet school.

Last month, D’Alessandro faced parental outcry when she announced that three schools would have to close or merge. According to D’Alessandro, the plan is not as drastic as she had originally intended because it closes only two schools.

“[The plan] didn’t take it as far as I would have liked, but it’s a start,” she said.

D’Alessandro said she did not expect any school employees to be fired as a result of the merger.

Committee members, whose approval is necessary for D’Alessandro’s plan to go into effect, said they would not consider the plan until it is sent to them in full with other minor changes expected to take place.

“For my own part I’m waiting to see the plan,” said Cambridge Mayor Michael A. Sullivan. “The final plan may have some additional elements.”

But local families seem to think there’s no time to lose.

Parents picketed outside the Longfellow School today to protest the proposed closing of the school and relocation of the ISP.

Longfellow parents said they felt victimized because theirs seems to be the only school that will be sacrificed for the system.

“The Longfellow School is the only school that is being closed for another school to come in,” said Longfellow parent Gillian McMullen. “We lose our whole school culture.”

Longfellow parents also said they felt School Committee members will not support them adequately, since none of them have children at the Longfellow.

“We just don’t have anyone fighting for us on the School Committee,” said McMullen.

Parents also said they thought the King Open School, which will remain intact, may have been given an advantage in the plan because two committee members—Alan C. Price and Nancy Walser—have children at the King Open School.

“How objective can they be?” McMullen asked.

“The only people who benefit are two school committee members,” said parent Paul Zellweger. “It’s a political food fight.”

Some families questioned D’Alessandro’s statistics on falling enrollment at the Longfellow School.

“The statistics were all wrong,” said McMullen. “The building is really full.”

Parents said they were especially concerned that the ISP would be moved to the Kennedy School—a school labeled as under-performing—in what they speculate may be an underhanded move to raise the Kennedy School’s test scores.

While D’Alessandro said the merger will raise test scores, she said it would improve both programs.

“It’s a way to take a program that’s very successful to a community that needs success,” she said.

Zellweger has chosen to battle the proposed merger by calling the Department of Education (DOE). He said he hopes the DOE would send a notice to the city’s schools opposing the merger plan.

“What you have is a corruption of the process,” Zellweger said. “I believe that the DOE respects the rights of kids.”

Parents have planned to continue their protests at the upcoming forums and hearings on the merger plan.

“We’re going to fight it tooth and nail,” McMullen said.

—Staff writer Claire A. Pasternack can be reached at cpastern@fas.harvard.edu.