Board discusses accelerating realignment to move sixth grade into middle school; staff report logistics and support plans

District leaders said they plan to recommend realignment that would shift sixth graders into the middle school for the coming school year unless the board objects, and they described logistics, staffing and facility work required to implement the change.

Dr. Lee said the administrative team completed the final staff conversations and intends to recommend moving forward: “it is my plan is to recommend that we are going to do this, unless I hear something from the board tonight that says, you know, maybe we're not ready for this.” He told the board the district has prepared a transparent staffing process to treat employees equally, and that principals and staff had been involved in planning execution steps.

Administrators identified ancillary needs that surfaced during stakeholder discussions, including playground replacements flagged by the insurance company, heating/ventilation work, classroom moves and the need to hire supplemental movers or arrange additional support. Officials estimated some moving and preparation costs but said they expect a chance to “break even” once savings and expenses are tallied; they recommended providing paid time for teachers to pack and prepare classrooms (with a July 1 target for readiness).

Adam Dennis, describing the middle school model, said the plan will organize students into small learning communities of roughly 75–80 students per cohort, keep sixth-grade cohorts separate from older grades for lunches and electives, and minimize day-to-day interaction between middle school students and high school students. He said the model aims to ensure students are consistently supported by a team of teachers and that information flow and communication will improve because teacher teams can mass-communicate about cohort needs.

Board members voiced a mix of support and concerns. Some members said staff and principals have indicated the benefits outweigh the disruption; others pressed for clear timelines, exact moving-cost estimates and parent outreach to address family concerns. Administrators said a staffing plan and further details would be presented next week, and urged that a decision be made promptly to meet summer construction and packing timelines.

Ending: The board did not take a final vote at the work session. Administrators will present a staffing plan, cost estimate and communications plan at the next meeting and asked the board to consider approving realignment on a near-term schedule to allow contractors, moves and building work to be scheduled over the summer.