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Superintendent outlines unified campus timeline, says students will not be mixed across ages
Summary
Dr. McDowell updated the board on the proposed unified secondary campus, saying data collection occurred in January and a February design phase will follow; he emphasized community engagement, budgeting constraints and that younger students will not share the same spaces as much older students.
Dr. McDowell presented an update on the district’s Unified Campus proposal at the Jan. 28 meeting, describing the process, engagement timeline and guiding principles behind the planned merger of the current middle school and high school into a single 6–12 campus.
He said the district began data collection in January and will move into a design phase in February, with community feedback and advisory committees informing recommendations to the board. He emphasized budgeting constraints and the need to avoid premature promises while collecting feedback and working with staff and families.
Addressing community concerns about student safety and mixing age groups, Dr. McDowell said, "no, we will not have 11 year olds in the same spaces as 19 and 20 year olds. That would be insane." He described the initiative as seeking "a smoother way" for middle school students to access high school classes where appropriate, citing examples of high-performing younger students taking advanced courses.
The board discussed the FAQ posted on the district website and planned further board-level review at a Feb. 7 retreat. Dr. McDowell said the district will continue targeted conversations with students, staff and families and promised to share additional decisions and timelines as design work proceeds.
Next steps include further school- and community-level sessions, a board retreat to refine guardrails and eventual public recommendations informed by the advisory committees and collected feedback.
