Gates Chili Middle School committee recommends grade-level configuration with embedded teams for 2025-26

Gates Chili Middle School staff on Wednesday recommended moving to a grade-level configuration with embedded teams for the 2025-26 school year, saying the change would give all students more equitable access to electives, accelerated offerings and consistent Tier 1 instruction.

The recommendation came as Dr. Znowski, principal of Gates Chili Middle School, presented findings from a two-month committee process that included “over 30 educators” representing core and encore teachers, mental health professionals and administrators. "The committee was almost unanimous in their recommendation that Gates Chili Middle School move to a configuration model of grade levels with embedded teams for the 25-26 school year," Dr. Znowski said.

Committee members told the board the review examined enrollment, achievement and programming data, elective and study-hall allocations, and qualitative staff input. The group evaluated alternatives including maintaining the two-and-a-half community model, a balanced three-community model, grade-level configurations with and without embedded teams, department-based models and hybrid approaches. The stated goals were equal access to programming, safer student and staff movement, stronger collaborative planning time and greater equity across the building.

Dr. Znowski said embedded teams would preserve teaming benefits — like consistent teachers and common planning time — while placing all sixth-graders, seventh-graders and eighth-graders in the same hallways. "This configuration will allow us to address some scheduling efficiencies. It will create more equitable access to programs," he said, adding that leaders hope to expand accelerated and enriched courses across the middle school.

The principal described the process as data-driven: each committee member completed surveys rating alternatives; results were displayed to the board showing broad support for the grade-level with embedded teams option. Dr. Znowski said the team is disaggregating referral and suspension data and reviewing supports for students with IEPs as part of planning.

When asked how students would be identified for accelerated or enriched classes, Dr. Znowski said the school has begun a four-week series of meetings to develop a process that uses multiple representative data points rather than a single measure. "We're developing a process that any student who qualifies will be able to access," he said, adding teacher leaders, counselors and administrators are identifying the data points.

The committee recommended forming subcommittees this spring to work through scheduling, enrollment balancing and room moves; staff planning and stakeholder informational sessions were planned for the summer. Dr. Znowski said the school is “anticipating to open the building next school year in the fall of 2025 with this new configuration intact.”

The presentation also included brief student highlights and community-building efforts: Gates Chili Middle School recognized three student leaders (Lucas Lam, Milo Messina and Brielle Rosette) for district-level leadership and showcased recent events including the school’s first middle-school pep assembly and a Kindness Week program focused on inclusion, service and relationship-building.

Board members did not take formal action on the configuration at the meeting; Dr. Znowski and staff said further community engagement and subcommittee work would precede any formal adoption.