The changes would mean that almost all elementary students would live within two miles of their school, where the state does not require the town to provide school bus transportation. Students from sections of North Randolph will no longer be sent across town to the Kennedy School, as has been done since elementary classes ended at the Devine School two years ago.

The plan would save the school system $216,269 in transportation costs next year, said Steven Moore, the system's executive director for finance and administration.

The plan, presented Thursday night, will be voted on by the school committee at its April 12 meeting.

Eliminating bus transportation at the elementary level will have ripple effects at other grades and for elementary parents who paid to ride the buses.

"Next year, there will be no fee-based transportation for anybody," Moore said. "There will be no buses for you to be on."

School buses make multiple trips in the morning and afternoon for the different grade levels.

Only parts of five streets would qualify for school bus service for grades one through six, Moore said. They are Birch Drive, Feener Circle, Holly Lane, Vine Lane and Vine Street.

Moore said the fee-based transportation service "never paid for itself," with the school system losing $12,000 to $15,000 a year.

He said the new districts would be flexible, and would change to manage class sizes.

"They're not hard lines. They're going to move," he said.

The rough boundaries of the new districts shape up like this:

Donovan School: All of the town north of Pond and Reed streets and west of High and a portion of Lafayette Street. It includes the small area with bus service.

Kennedy School: Much of North Street and its side streets, the area between Liberty and Union streets, along North Main Street from West Corners to Crawford Square and areas along Warren Street and Mazzeo Drive.

Lyons School: Streets along the northernmost section of North Street, between Pond and Liberty streets; most of the area bounded by Reed, High, Lafayette and West Streets; as well as the area along North Main Street from Reed to Chestnut.

Young School: All of the town south of Union Street, Memorial Parkway and including much of Highland Glen.

Nancy Goggin of Allen Street said her two children would be shifted from the Lyons School to the Kennedy School. Where they can now walk to school, Goggin will now have to drive her children to the more distant Kennedy School.

"This will be very disruptive," she said.

School committee Chairman Larry Azer said parents can seek transfers to other elementary schools in the district on a space-available basis.

School Superintendent Richard Silverman said students starting Grade six in September would be given priority for transfers.

The redistricting plan was been in the works for months and under consideration by school officials regardless of the vote on the Proposition 2 1 2 t ax override proposal. Voters rejected the proposed $4.16 million property tax increase at Tuesday's town election.

Moore said the district plan could be changed by decisions on a possible school closing and relocating kindergarten students, which will be made during the deliberations on cutting the school budget.

Fred Hanson may be reached at fhanson@ledger.com.