Springfield middle-school schedule to adopt learning communities; world-language 1 moved to high school
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Summary
Middle‑school leaders told the academic affairs committee Jan. 14 that fall 2026 schedule changes include team-based 'learning communities,' staff reassignments to balance teams, and moving world-language 1 courses (Spanish, German, French) to the high school for ninth graders to streamline world-language credit accrual; staff said no personnel reductions are planned and promised a full curriculum guide in March.
Middle‑school administrators presented schedule and program changes for 2026–27 to the Springfield Township SD academic affairs committee on Jan. 14, focusing on team-based learning communities, staff reassignments and a shift of world‑language 1 to the high-school level for ninth graders.
Middle‑school leadership described "learning communities" as grade-level teams composed of balanced core teachers (science, social studies, math and ELA) to improve coordination of shared assessments and reduce conflicts in student workloads. "We're gonna shift that learning communities will also require and have required us to do some staffing realignment," one middle‑school presenter said, outlining moves that will keep all current staff employed while reassigning roles.
Administrators said planned reassignments include one full‑time faculty moving to the science department, three full‑time faculty shifting into intervention-support roles and two full‑time faculty reassigned elsewhere in the middle school. The district emphasized those are reassignments rather than eliminations and indicated the changes do not require board personnel action because positions are not new or eliminated.
The middle‑school team also proposed moving Spanish 1, German 1 and French 1 instruction to the high school beginning in 2026 to allow students to accrue world‑language credits that meet college entrance expectations and to free space for special-area electives for eighth graders. Staff said the change will expand student choice and better align credits for college requirements.
Administrators committed to return in March with a full curriculum guide and more details on implementation, scheduling and implications for incoming sixth graders and current middle‑school students. The committee consented to continue planning under the assumption that world‑language staff will be at the high school full time next year.
What’s next: middle‑school staff will provide a more detailed implementation plan in March and work with counselors to communicate scheduling and course-selection guidance to students and families.