Reconfiguring grade groupings in public school

[myfunnybunch]

Our school district is facing a major budget crisis.

 

One of the many proposals that is likely to be implemented is reconfiguration of the grade levels in the schools: Elementary schools, K-3rd; Middle schools, 4th-8th. High schools would stay 9th-12th.

 

What do you think? What are some of the drawbacks? What could be some of the positives? Anyone live in a community with schools divided this way?

 

We've been following this very closely in the local news. Obviously this won't affect my family directly, but we have friends with children in these schools, so we are trying to think through the implications, both positive and negative.

 

The school district has been cutting for a few years and preparing for this financial shortfall as much as possible, and is also implementing many other cuts and consolidations, including closing/combining small schools, cutting 100 teaching jobs, cutting non-teaching jobs, cutting school days, selling property to meet short-term financial goals. So this is not the first or only step they're taking. I'd rather focus specifically on the grade configurations than turn this into a rant against public schools in general.

 

Cat

[FaithManor]

Well, it would probably work in some school districts. There really isn't a one size fits all answer to any of these kinds of problems. But, our local middle school (6-8th grade) is a den of disaster - kids making out in the hallways, bullying - extreme forms - sexual harassment, profanity every where, etc. From what the teachers report, I'd not want my tender nine year old fourth grader up there unless it was being done in very small buildings or mixed classrooms as in "one room schoolhouse" style so instead of having a whole bunch of really HUGE kids being able to gang up on a couple of little ones, they'd be split up in such a way that the big kids are helpers to the little children....much less chance of gang think mentality.

 

Faith

[athena1277]

Only the middles school would bother me a bit if my kids were going there. There's a big difference between 4th and 8th. However, i would like that they would stay in one school for a while. It would also make it easier for families with lots of kids to not have them as so many schools. If you were a kid living where i grow up, you would go to 5 schools from K to 12th. Most of them for only 2 years.