MERRIMACK – Frustrated parents and members of the school board questioned school administrators at length Monday, when it was revealed that only 45 of 105 students applying to a new freshman honors course had been admitted amid changes to scholastic programs.

The course in question, a combined English and social studies program, admitted students based on academic records, teacher recommendations and a written essay.

School administrators were quick to point out that the number of applicants, historically no more than 65 students, had increased substantially and that admissions had been increased, as well. Still, some parents of students with a history of academic success are questioning why their students were not admitted to the program, or why more program space had not been allotted.

Michelle Landry – who said her son was a straight-A student, a member of the Gifted and Talented Program, and had the recommendation of his teachers – expressed her worries to the board.

“I am concerned and frustrated,” she said. “With more than a hundred students vying for this class, only one class was selected and the rest will be put into the comprehensive level … therefore, the freshman class has a group of honor-level students that will not have the opportunity to be challenged in the classroom or by their peers, because only one class is being offered.”

Shannon Barnes, school board chairwoman, echoed Landry’s concerns, adding that the best way to stifle a child’s desire to strive toward harder coursework is to deny it to them.

“There are 65 hungry kids that want to be at the highest level of education, and we’re telling them no,” she said. “When do kids stop getting hungry? When they keep being told that they can’t have what they want to eat – and when I say what they want to eat, it’s knowledge here.”

School board member Davis Powell pointed out that the nature of honors programs is such that the standards are higher, meaning some students just aren’t necessarily ready for the coursework.

“The rigidity of that program has to be maintained, in my mind, in order to be valid,” he said. “If you loosen the requirements to get into honors, then I think it kind of undercuts the whole purpose of it.”

Dr. Mark McLaughlin, assistant superintendent, said the district is doing what it can to prepare students who are not yet ready for honors rigor to eventually get them to that level while maintaining the integrity of the honors programs.

“Several things are true at the same time, and one thing that is true is that in the proposed change, we’re bringing students who were previously identified as not as strong students, and we’re working to put supports in place so that they can achieve a college prep competency,” he said. “At the same time, we have an honors program that in and of itself has to stand as a rigorous honors course.”

Going forward, students not enrolled in the honors program will be enrolled in a new “comprehensive” course that combines students who achieve at a standard level with the students who achieve at a college prep level. This change will go into effect at the start of the 2016-17 school year.

To watch the full school board meeting, visit http://merrimacktv.com/online-video/school-board.

Matthew Medsger can be reached at 594-6531, mmedsger@nashuatelegraph.com or @Telegraph_MattM.

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