CASD to hold additional public meeting on adding sixth grade at junior high
Prior to making a recommendation to its school board, administration at Connellsville Area School District will hold a public meeting Saturday to inform the public of its plan to move the sixth grade to the junior high school building next school year.
Superintendent Phil Martell said district administration will give a presentation detailing its plan to make Connellsville Area Junior High School grades six through eight for the 2016-17 school year. Administration will ask the board at its next voting meeting to approve the realignment.
Administration members previously gave the presentation at a meeting on the topic last week that was attended by a group of about 50 teachers, parents and community members.
Some parents in attendance questioned the administration’s ability to execute its plan in such a short time span, fearing that students will suffer if the move is carried through without proper preparation.
Parents suggested that administration take a year to work out any issues and ensure the transition for students and teachers is as smooth as possible.
Martell said he feels now is the appropriate time for the district to address and prioritize the topic.
“Like any change or redirection, there is give and take. We feel that we have addressed many of the concerns that parents have and then some,” said Martell. “This plan and my administration have more than enough time to implement these exciting changes for the 2016-17 school year, and our students will be better served by them.”
He said administration has created a transition plan that will be made public if the board votes in favor of the move, and the district will continue to make adjustments as needed to ensure a smooth transition.
“The educational plan we are presenting is vastly more beneficial for our students than what they are currently receiving,” said Martell.
Martell said administration has been working on the plan since December to transition sixth-graders into the junior high to allow them to take advantage of programs offered at the school.
Planned additions to curriculum at the junior high school include engineering and STEM-oriented classes through Project Lead the Way, and the incorporation of a fabrication laboratory, or fab lab.
“The changes in curriculum, and creation of new spaces and labs, provide our students the chance to receive what they rightly deserve in order to be prepared in this 21st-century economy,” said Martell.
The meeting is set for 9 a.m. Saturday in the Connellsville Area High School cafeteria.