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Merced City trustees hear sharp debate over boundary changes and proposed move of sixth graders to middle schools
Summary
Trustees heard hours of public comment and staff options for redrawing boundaries and possibly moving sixth graders to middle schools. Staff favored a phased approach; parents raised safety, long bus rides and extracurricular access as chief concerns. The board asked staff for more maps, bus-time analysis and will consider a timeline at the next meeting.
Merced City School District trustees spent the bulk of their Jan. 14 meeting on proposals to redraw school boundaries and consider moving sixth graders to middle school campuses.
The district presented four scenarios ranging from limited boundary adjustments that keep sixth grade at elementary schools to a full transition that would move sixth graders to middle schools immediately. Director of Facilities Brian Bane told trustees staff wants a decision-ready timeline so demographers and planners can produce maps and bus routing estimates in time for a board decision at the February meeting.
Why it matters: Rivera and several north-side elementary schools face persistent overcrowding. Staff said some scenarios fix capacity problems in the short term but would return the district to overcapacity within two to three years. The debate pits short-term…
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