833 to decide fate of middle-school eight-period day

Talk about it

District 833 has already determined that sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders will attend middle school next fall. What remains to be decided by the school board is whether it will have eight-period days and a more personalized way of delivering education or continue the current junior high system.

Board members, at workshop, Oct. 9, were receptive to enthusiastic junior high teachers, specialists and principals who are eager to launch the new education model.

The sticking point, when the board meets Oct. 23, will be how to fund an additional $875,000 to pay for it for one year.

The additional cost was caused by a board decision two weeks ago to delay changing to six-period days for high schools.

Board members, by a one-vote margin, put off changing the current four-period day until 2010-2011 to give teachers more time to change curriculums and more time for parents and students to adjust.

If the six-period day had been approved, the savings would have funded the new middle-school proposal.

Ironically, both, the new middle-school model and High School Redesign Task Force recommendations were arrived at independently, said Tom Nelson, superintendent, at the workshop.

Tags: middleschool, school_district_833, juniorhigh