The Merger Solution

In an attempt to remediate at least some of these chronic problems—and especially to shrink its budget deficit and to close the achievement gap—in the spring of 2002, the school district decided to consolidate or close several of the city’s 15 elementary schools.

But over the course of the next year over a half-dozen proposed plans were scrapped after vehement protest.

Parents mobilized in an effort to save their local schools, packing into school committee meetings, threatening to vote school committee members out of office, and even performing their own economic analysis of the school system.

Superintendent of Schools Bobbie J. D’Alessandro presented the first merger plan last June, and proposed two additional modifications during the fall.

But parents and committee members rejected each of these proposals, saying that the plans were too drastic—closing popular schools and disrupting programs for advanced students and bilingual education—and that she had failed to create a transparent process that adequately involved city residents.

Deposing D’Alessandro

In November, the school committee not only delayed a final decision on the school mergers, but in a surprise move voted not to renew D’Alessandro’s contract—citing the her mishandling of the merger plans and her lack of a clear vision for the district.

“At times we would shake our heads and wonder what’s up here,” Sullivan said just after the announcement. “There’s been an inability to give a clear, concise vision for our system.”

Some parents lauded the committee’s decision to search for new leadership, but others accused them of unfairly blaming D’Alessandro for their own mistakes.

“The school committee does the dumbest things on the face of the earth and then they need a scapegoat,” parent Jackie Carroll said at the time.

But in spite of her unceremonious ousting, D’Alessandro set to work involving the community in her continued search for the right plan.

But her efforts came to naught, as the school committee rejected the next four proposals.

Nor did her belated attempts to include the community in the planning process win her favor, as crowds of parents flocked to school committee meetings, where they filled hours with public comment—sobbing, banging on tables, chanting and even yelling obscenities.

“Are you going to pay for my kids’ therapy? Because I’d like to see it in writing tonight,” parent Mary Byrne said at one meeting. “I will fight you to the bitter end and then some.”