Parents rap schools plan at forum in W. Roxbury

Dozens of West Roxbury parents clamored last night for more neighborhood schools and less busing, reacting angrily to proposals that they say do not go far enough in overhauling the way Boston assigns students.

The eight proposals, designed by a task force, elicited mostly negative reviews from the nearly 100 people who attended a forum at a West Roxbury church. Most of the proposals redraw the Boston public schools' attendance zones to permit more walk-to schools and reduce the reliance on busing across sections of the city.

But many at the forum faulted the proposals. One parent shouted that the plans were "garbage." Others accused task force members of ignoring West Roxbury families' desire for walk-to schools.

"None of these plans are acceptable," parent Jeff Brodeur said. "I feel we're being discriminated against over here, as far as not being able to send our kids to neighborhood schools."

Under the current system of three zones, half the seats in a school go to children within a mile and the other half to students who live in the school's larger attendance zone. Some plans create more zones and give students a better chance to get into a nearby school. But that also would reduce a family's ability to have a student go to a school outside their area.

Parents demanded to know why the task force did not go entirely to neighborhood schools. Task force chairman Ted Landsmark said there are not enough schools in some neighborhoods to do that. He pledged that the task force will consider West Roxbury parents' requests.

The School Committee will vote on a plan later this year, with changes taking effect in fall 2005.