Lexington Richland School District 5 outlines rezoning, staff-preference survey and certification plan ahead of 2026 middle-school conversion

Superintendent Dr. Ross presented a three-year rezoning and staffing calendar and a staff-preference survey intended to guide staffing and certification ahead of the district's transition of intermediate schools to middle schools, which the administration said will take effect July 1, 2026 for the 2026–27 school year.

The plan centers on a districtwide faculty and staff survey to be issued in May 2025 to close to 2,000 employees, a timeline to mine responses over the summer, and targeted certification support. “This is not anything you can wait to the year before or even a few months before. It must happen, it must happen now,” Dr. Ross told the board, urging early data collection so staff preferences can drive placement decisions. The district said it will pay for summer certification courses in 2025 and 2026 for staff who need secondary certification to remain at sites that convert from intermediate to middle school.

Why it matters: the district will change feeder patterns and programs as Crossroads Intermediate and others convert to middle schools. That…