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Parents urge David Douglas to restore advanced middle‑school classes after child left unchallenged
Summary
A parent told the board her seventh‑grade child at Alice Ott Middle School found no advanced classes this year, described boredom and attendance problems, and asked the district to ensure advanced offerings in seventh and eighth grades going forward.
During public comment Thursday, two parents urged the David Douglas School Board to ensure middle schools offer advanced classes in seventh and eighth grade.
Anne Bacon said her daughter, a seventh grader at Alice Ott Middle School, anticipated advanced math and English after sixth grade but learned before the school year started that no advanced offerings would be available for seventh grade. Bacon said her daughter has been bored in class, sometimes reading for half the day, and that attendance has suffered as a result.
Bacon said she met with the school principal and was told that middle schools are not required to offer advanced classes and that principals make those decisions within local budget constraints. Bacon said Alice Ott offered several advanced sections for eighth grade but not for seventh, and she asked the board to "encourage advanced classes in seventh and eighth grade" and to explore whether budget or scheduling changes could guarantee access for students who need more challenge.
The speakers said they love the district and hoped to keep their child enrolled, but said they were considering other options if their daughter continued to be unchallenged. The board did not take action during public comment; district staff later discussed district course-forecasting and program options at the secondary level during the agenda.
