Post date: Jul 20, 2013 7:29:52 PM
The Committee’s consensus was that a 9-12 school, if it included an attached freshman academy to isolate ninth graders' core academic classes, was the most effective and efficient way to reduce school transitions and provide better academic and socialization opportunities for students.
The February 2012 bond issue called for replacing Madison Middle School with a new 6th and 7th Grade Center for all district students, repurposing Central Middle School for administrative functions, having all 8th and 9th graders at the Mid-High, and expanding the High School to serve grades 10-12. After that proposal was not accepted, surveys and focus groups showed that while most voters endorsed expanding the high school, they balked at moving students out of Central and wanted to retain having two middle schools, one for the east side and another for the west side of town.
The Long-Range Facilities Committee spent months researching other options, including retaining the existing grade configuration and simply renovating the existing middle schools. But the Committee felt a renovation of Madison Middle School would be underwhelming in its end results and that a long-range plan should seek to increase the district’s operational efficiency, in light of dwindling state funding, while improving the academic environment since the district’s poverty rate has grown significantly and higher poverty correlates with lower achievement.
The Committee also looked at expanding BHS to grades 10-12 and using the Central, Madison, and Mid-High buildings for the lower grades. But this failed to decrease student transitions between schools, the only major grade configuration factor which research showed was linked to improved student achievement. It also added considerable square footage to the district, lowering district efficiency even if administrative functions could be relocated and administrative buildings could be sold. Experienced district educators also cautioned that approach would lead to a bad combination of ages at some sites in terms of students’ social development. A 10-12 school would also not eliminate the daily transport of students from the Mid-High to the high school for athletics practices, something a 9-12 school would resolve.
The Committee’s consensus was that a 9-12 school, if it included an attached freshman academy to isolate ninth graders' core academic classes, was the most effective and efficient way to reduce school transitions and provide better academic and socialization opportunities for students. The Committee also followed voter preferences that we retain separate middle schools for both the east and west sides of town to serve grades 6-8. The consensus was that the most affordable approach for good long-term results would be to renovate and expand Central while moving Madison’s students to a renovated and robust Mid-High facility.