We met with 5th grade parents from Oak Hill Community School on October 6th and discussed the timeline and activities/meetings to date of the Middle Level Task Force. We reviewed the opportunities/program their children will experience if they attend South Junior High as 6th graders, as well as the many activities that will be available to them. We highlighted the fact that average class sizes will be 27 at South versus 32 currently at Oak Hill. Parent concerns that were elicited from a questionnaire were also addressed at the October 6th meeting. Principal Williams indicated that most people felt comfortable with the proposed plan to move the Oak Hill 6th grade to South for the 2010-2011 year. He indicated he will continue to listen, take questions, and respond to concerns of parents. For the Oak Hill transition (Phase I - 2010-2011), South will be able to accommodate the students with minimal structural adjustment. A second phase of the middle level plan would involve adding all 6th grade students from Talahi, Clearview, Lincoln and the private schools in 2011-2012; for this phase, South would need to remodel existing space to add additional classrooms.
There will now be a couple of additional weeks of discussion, with a formal recommendation to move the Oak Hill 6th grade to South for 2010-2011 being presented to the Board of Education at the October 22nd meeting.
The recommendation to move the Oak Hill 6th grade to South for 2010-2011 will be on the agenda for the October 22nd Board of Education meeting with a request for approval.
