Pilot choice program gets board’s OK

Panel also agrees to explore option of third junior high

FAYETTEVILLE — The School Board on Thursday unanimously approved a four-point recommendation, including implementing a pilot choice program at the middle school level and exploring the idea of a third junior high school.

The other components of Superintendent John Mulford’s recommendation — leaving middle school boundaries unchanged for the 2024-25 school year and setting a deadline of April for a final board decision on a three middle schools-three junior highs model — were approved in the same vote.

The decisions are part of the School District’s overall plan to alleviate overcrowding at McNair Middle School and help the district in other ways.

“I think it sets us up for long-term success, our ability to handle enrollment growth, as well as balance some of the things we need to balance,” Mulford said.

Mulford presented five scenarios for shifting attendance boundaries to aid McNair, and the board will consider them in the coming months.

Courtney Morawski, the district’s assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, provided an update on the preliminary results from the middle school choice programming parent survey. The survey — for parents of students in grades 3-5, because those students would eventually be the ones participating in a choice option — was sent last week and closes today.

Of eight subject areas for the choice model, the three current front-runners were science exploration, outdoor education and ecosystems and leadership and service learning, according to Morawski’s report, based on 187 respondents thus far.

The next step is set for January with announcing the choice program the district selects, the school that will

house it and developing a curriculum framework and community partnerships, according to Morawski’s presentation.

The district is working toward creating the choice program for fifth and sixth grades, Mulford said. The initiative would serve up to 112 students per grade, according to the district.

Currently, there are three middle schools in the district — Colbert, Holt and McNair — and two junior highs — Ramay and Woodland. Possible concepts include converting Colbert, which opened this fall, into a junior high, then building another middle school — or constructing a junior high.

Mulford previously said his recommendation to forge a three middle school-three junior high system wouldn’t immediately solve McNair’s crowding but would provide light at the end of the tunnel. There’d be a three- to threeand-a-half-year timeline to complete a new facility with land acquisition, the design/ bid process and construction. The district would provide supports for the McNair staff during the process, he said. Mulford anticipated a new facility being completed and open for the 2027-28 school year.

“I firmly believe that if we can have three demographically balanced middle schools and three demographically balanced junior highs, I think we’ll have a completely different school district,” board President Nika Waitsman said. “I think we’ll see the achievement gap closing.”

Building a school could be paid for through second-lien bonds, which allow the district to use the current voter-approved millage rate, Mulford said.

Another emphasis is establishing middle school-junior high feeder patterns that don’t split up students as they advance, Mulford said.

The School District is working with consulting firm MGT on the crowding issue. McNair’s enrollment was 752 on Dec. 6, and Mulford has said the challenge is solving the overcrowding there without creating hardships for families. McNair has a capacity of 692 students, according to an MGT presentation on capacity and utilization, and is listed as having inadequate space.

Colbert and Holt were listed as having inefficient use of space, MGT said. Colbert’s enrollment is 443, but the school has a campus capacity of 800, with Holt at 448 and 692, respectively, according to MGT.