School committee to revisit high school boundaries

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NASHUA – A proposal to send about 150 students who live near Sunset Heights Elementary School to Nashua High School North next year is scheduled to be reintroduced to a Board of Education committee tonight.

Despite having addresses south of the Nashua River – the traditional boundary between the north and south high schools – the teenagers around Sunset Heights were picked to go to the north school to even out enrollments between the two schools and keep the socioeconomic mix even.

The original proposal was opposed by some parents and eventually failed because the school board did not take action on it before the new board was sworn in this month.

Superintendent of Schools Joseph Giuliano said he has developed an alternative to his original recommendation that may be more palatable to the community.

That alternative calls for sending students from streets north of Fairway Street to the north school.

“It makes sense when you look at it,” Giuliano said, adding he took the advice from a parent who spoke at the last public hearing.

The original recommendation included neighborhoods around Rivier College, Taylor Street and Allds Street.

Currently, all children who live north of the Nashua River as well as those who live within the boundaries of the Dr. Crisp Elementary School neighborhoods will go to the north high school.

All other students living south of the Nashua River would attend the south high school.

Options available to members of the Support Services Committee tonight include forwarding a recommendation to the full school board, holding another public hearing on the issue, tabling the proposal, or doing nothing. Any decision on the proposal needs final approval from the full school board.

Giuliano said the meeting was moved to the board room at the north high school in order to accommodate people interested in attending.

Jonathan Van Fleet can be reached at 594-6465 or vanfleetj@telegraph-nh.com.