Ellis USD 388

ELLIS–During their Monday meeting, Ellis USD 388 board members will discuss the possibility of moving the Junior High 7th and 8th grade classes to Ellis High School.

The move has been considered and discussed over recent years to look at various scenarios of how this could be implemented. At tonight’s meeting, the Board of Education may take action to move forward with the reorganization.

Over the past two years, two bond elections failed which contained options of adding space at EHS for a small Junior High wing.

Despite those bonds failing, the issues that have been reported concerning space issues at Washington Grade School and transporting students between attendance centers have not improved, according to Superintendent Bob Young.

At the current time at WGS, every classroom in the building is being used. Just two classes have not been split due to lower numbers of students in those respective classes. With new students constantly moving into the school district, this presents a problem if either of those two classes saw significant increases in enrollment requiring the class to be split, there would be no room available for that split.

Since the Christmas break, WGS has had 7 new students enroll. With this type of transition into
the district, the Board and administration are looking to be proactive in having the necessary classroom space for students.

A concern that has been voiced over the recent years in opposition to moving the Junior High has  been segregating those students from the High School students.

Administration has been working with the teaching staff to devise a plan that would maintain a high level of separation and have devised a plan that should work well. Primarily, the north hallway would be used for Junior High classes while the west hallway would be for High School. Concepts of classroom maps were shared at the January Board meeting.

No decision to make the move has been made at this time. The Board will deliberate the idea during their meeting tonight, which starts at 6:30p.m. in the Ellis Highs School library.

A motion to move forward, to not move at all, or table the discussion to a future meeting could be made at that time.

Bob Young is the Ellis USD 388 Superintendent