February 2001 
District changes ensure students' safety and academic success By James W. Scott, Ed.D., Superintendent
|
A s we approach the halfway mark of the 2000-2001 school year, we begin to look forward in planning for the 2001-2002 school year. Next year promises to bring new challenges to our district. This edition of The Reporter includes a detailed article about the conversion of Winship and Zane Junior High Schools to 6-8 middle schools. This move toward a true middle school is critically important in this era of high-stakes accountability. It will be advantageous to have students and parents engaged in their middle school education for three years. This will allow for stronger relationships to build in support of every students' academic and social growth. We will also be able to provide better transition for students as they leave the self-contained classroom environment to a more departmentalized approach in 7th and 8th-grade. We will take special care to ensure that 6th-graders will feel safe and accepted as part of our middle schools. We will also be making progress in addressing the facility needs of Eureka High School. The seismic and modernization needs of Eureka High School's campus must be addressed. When coupled with several existing unsuitable portable classrooms targeted for replacement, the need to expand the Eureka High campus became apparent. As a result, the Marshall Elementary School redesignation as part of Eureka High School was required. In addition, Eureka City Schools could not continue to operate eight very small elementary schools and efficiently allocate precious resources to ensure a quality education for all students in the district. We will do everything possible in working with parents to ensure good communication as these changes are implemented. I recognize that the scope of these new directions is significant and I'm confident that we will emerge as a stronger unified school district as a result.
|
