While the plan was expected to pass, it still encountered opposition at the meeting.

Members of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People urged the committee to delay its vote on the proposal, saying too few minority parents and administrators had been consulted.

School Committee Member E. Denise Simmons gave a forceful final statement, initially refusing to vote, saying she was "disappointed in the way this all came together."

She later changed her vote to "yes," saying that she did not want to block reform.

Simmons, who said that minority parents had been left out of the decision-making process, told D'Alessandro that she hopes for more public involvement as the restructuring progresses.

Many provisions, including the way students will be redistributed from the houses into the schools, are left vague in the proposal adopted last night. The recommendation calls for D'Alessandro to detail this procedure by mid-April.