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Superintendent: community survey shows about 2‑to‑1 support for moving sixth grade to junior–senior high
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Raiser told the North Newton School Board that a district survey of 365 respondents showed roughly two-thirds support for moving sixth grade into the junior–senior high, while raising concerns about social‑emotional readiness, transportation and preserving elementary relationships. He said he will return with a recommendation after stakeholder meetings.
Dr. Raiser, the district superintendent, told the board the district received 365 survey responses on a proposed transition of sixth grade to the junior–senior high and said "The overall support was 2 to 1 in favor of moving the sixth grade to the junior senior high, approximately almost 66% to about 34%." He described parents and staff as the primary respondents and said the survey will guide next steps.
Raiser provided a respondent breakdown: 240 identified as parents or families, 89 as staff members, and 36 respondents as both staff and parents. He summarized the reasons supporters favored the move: expanded academic opportunities and programming, better access to extracurricular activities, and improved preparation for secondary education.
Board members and district staff also discussed concerns raised in the survey, including "social emotional readiness and the age differences," the potential loss of an elementary school environment and relationships, and transportation and logistical challenges. Raiser emphasized that respondents supported the idea more than they endorsed immediate implementation: "There's concerns on implementation, not the intent."
Raiser outlined next steps: assembling a working meeting of the people who would implement the change, examining logistics for a possible rollout next year, and returning to the board at the next meeting with either a recommendation to move forward for next year or to defer to a later year. "I'll come back with a report and a recommendation at the next board meeting," he said.
The superintendent noted one operational factor: the incoming seventh grade class is small (49 students), which he said could create scheduling challenges but also allow focused attention for sixth graders if a transition were made.
The board did not take action on the proposal at this meeting; Raiser and staff plan further stakeholder work and committee review before a formal recommendation arrives.
