Madera Wins Approval to Add 6th Grade in Coming School Year
The school board approved the expansion to Madera tonight without discussion.
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As expected, the West Contra Costa Unified School District board approved the addition of 6th grade to Madera Elementary School at its meeting tonight. The change takes place with the coming school year this fall, 2011-12.
The item was approved without discussion, as part of the consent calendar.
The move means that Portola Middle School will have only 7th and 8th grade and that no elementary schools in the district except in Hercules will have 6th grade.
Madera currently has 61 5th graders. It may need to add up to two portables to accommodate the sixth graders, at a cost of up to $150,000. District officials have noted, however, that they may be forced to increase class size in some elementary grades because of the budget situation. Increased class size could mean that no or only one portable is needed.
Although Madera families lobbied heavily for the addition of 6th grade at the school, some staff and parents are concerned that space in the school is becoming very tight.
Lori Dair
8:33 pm on Thursday, January 6, 2011
This is a long-overdue decision. It never made sense for only one or two schools to be K-5 when the rest of the feeder schools were K-6. Yes, Madera is getting more crowded, but most parents will welcome the 6th graders. And it will allow Portola to focus on building a great program for grades 7-8 without having to also accommodate a very small number of 6th graders, whose needs are different.
Valerie Snider
9:34 am on Friday, January 7, 2011
A better decision would have been to convert the K-6 schools to K-5. Why? Because the elementary schools are packed, and Portola is under-enrolled (as is De Jean MS, according to the district's web site).
If 6th graders needs are "different" and not accommodated by a middle school, why do so many EC residents try (legally or illegally) to enroll their children in Albany MS (which has a 6th grade?)
Sixth graders at Portola were "accommodated" just fine, in my opinion. They had band every day (as an elective). They had the option of joining the after-school jazz band. They went to the Cazadero music camp. They had PE every day. Their classroom was in a separate building and they didn't change classes (except for PE and electives). It's a nice way for kids to ease into middle school.