Proposal to adapt Hewitt Innovative (ASI) model for middle school emphasizes acceleration and career pathways

Unidentified Speaker 1 (role: Unidentified) outlined plans to adapt the Hewitt Innovative program (ASI) for a middle school, saying, “We're very excited about the opportunity.” The proposal centers on three elements: innovated teaching and Apple technology, academic acceleration to give younger students a head start on high‑school credits, and early career exploration with community‑college partners.

The plan would extend practices used in the district’s early‑college program to middle grades, add individual advisors, and deploy Apple devices in classrooms. Unidentified Speaker 1 said those elements aim to create “a high impact experience for students” and to let families “understand how this all fits together.”

On academics, the speaker proposed rigorous middle‑school classes combined with some high‑school coursework. "Probably, 5 credits, I think, or what we're looking at right now, in the seventh and eighth grade," they said, describing the intent to allow students to earn credits early and open up course options in high school.

The speakers described community‑college collaborations to expose students to vocational and technical fields. Unidentified Speaker 1 said they had met with a college that could provide access to programs including HVAC, machining, nursing, paramedics, firefighting, engineering and creative arts, so students could begin career exploration well before high school.

Operational details the speakers raised include following the same application timeline and academic calendar used by the district’s early‑college program, and aligning bus schedules so the new middle school would not disrupt existing college operations. The proposal also includes shared meeting space for middle‑ and high‑school faculties while keeping day‑to‑day operations separate, and additional supports such as time‑management instruction for students.

Unidentified Speaker 1 cautioned against moving too quickly: they said the district will spend more time on the first round of applications and that the proposal “deserves” careful planning and staffing, including hiring teachers before full implementation. Unidentified Speaker 2 agreed the idea merits time and attention.

No formal motion or vote was recorded in the transcript excerpt. The next procedural steps described were additional planning, application rounds and staff recruitment.