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Salem elementary to revert to homeroom instruction for grades 3–4, updates schedule and special-education placements
Summary
Principal Katie presented next year’s proposed elementary sectioning, return to homeroom (common-branch) instruction for third and fourth grades, a rotation change for specials, added STEM for sixth grade, and consolidation of certain special-education focus classrooms with some students to be placed out-of-district where services exceed local capacity.
The board reviewed a package of schedule and program changes that the elementary leadership says will improve instructional continuity and allow the district to meet projected enrollments and special-education needs.
Principal Katie (first reference: SEG 4118) presented projected enrollments by grade and recommended keeping some grades at two sections to allow August adjustments. To reduce daily transitions for younger students, the district will revert third and fourth grades to a common-branch (homeroom) instructional model so one teacher covers the core subjects for a stable classroom grouping. Katie said that change will reduce lost instructional time from class-to-class transitions and allow more cohesive social-emotional and literacy instruction.
The elementary rotation for specials will move from a six-day to a four-day cycle, with library converted to a Monday–Friday block tied to content instruction so the librarian can co-teach research skills aligned with classroom projects. Fifth and sixth grades will retain departmentalized instruction but gain a new sixth-grade STEM rotation. The board also heard that band will remain available during the school day while students will choose between general music and band in the upper elementary grades.
Special-education staff explained planned realignment of “focus” classrooms (typically serving students on the autism spectrum): the district will consolidate to a K–2, a 2–4, and a 7–12 structure (the latter serving seventh through 12th grades as appropriate). Because state placement rules limit mixing widely disparate age/ability gaps, the district is pursuing out-of-district placements for several students whose needs exceed the local program; administrators said they are searching for three placements while a larger set of students have already been placed.
Administrators stressed that teacher movement and staffing decisions have been discussed with staff since January and that the district will try to preserve experienced staffing at grade levels during the transition. The board asked for continued communication with families and noted that the schedule changes will be used as messaging about the district’s instructional approach to prospective parents.
Next steps: administration will move forward with staffing and final scheduling, notify families of changes over the summer, and return with details if out-of-district placements are finalized.
