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Board reviews middle‑level study; asks working group to study 6–8 configuration, schedules and feeders
Summary
A district working group reported on middle‑school structures and recommended studying whether to move sixth graders into middle schools, align schedules district‑wide, and reconfigure Nibley Park. The board asked staff to convene a focused working group and return with findings in three to four months.
The Salt Lake City School District Board received a report on middle‑level education on Feb. 8 that highlighted differences in schedules, course offerings and staffing across the district’s middle schools and asked the board to consider two studies: (1) whether to move sixth grade into middle schools (a 6–8 configuration), and (2) whether to realign middle‑school boundaries to improve feeder patterns.
Why it matters: The study found uneven access to electives, advanced pathways and counseling services across middle schools. Staff told the board that consistent schedules and clearer feeder patterns could increase equity in course access and ease transitions for students.
Report highlights: The district convened a working group of about 25 educators, principals and university partners to review middle‑level structures across six sites (five middle schools plus Nibley Park K–8). The group’s key findings included: - Schedule variation: Schools use 5×5 block schedules, seven‑period days and eight‑period days; Glendale uses a 5×5 block that gives longer periods but increases staffing cost and is less sustainable as enrollment changes. - Course access: Several schools lack a full set of non‑negotiable offerings (accelerated 7–8 math, honors tracks, at least one world language, and at least one visual and one performance arts track). Nibley Park’s seventh‑and‑eighth‑grade schedule was described as closer to elementary pacing for some subjects and not meeting some state expectations for daily middle‑school coverage. - After‑school and intramurals: The district noted strong participation in intramural sports but warned the program relies on one‑time grants and needs stable funding. - Counselor disparities: Counselor staffing varies widely across middle schools, with some schools having 1 counselor for k–8 and others having three; principals said counselor roles differ significantly between elementary and middle settings.
Board direction and timeline: Board members asked for more analysis and community input. The superintendent and staff recommended a new working group to study sixth‑grade configuration and to examine boundary alignment; the board supported starting that work and asked staff to return with findings and recommendations in three to four months. Staff also said principals have begun collaborating on schedule alignment for the coming year.
Ending: Staff will convene a stakeholder working group, gather research and parent input about grade configuration and bring a more detailed report and timeline back to the board for study-session discussion.
