North Hills School Board Considers Moving Ninth Grade To High School

The is considering moving the ninth grade from the to the , according to a presentation led by three district principals at Monday's school board meeting. 

Assistant Superintendent said a recent decline in enrollment at the high school means there is room to make the move. 

The high school has the capacity for 1,687 students, but the student enrollment for the 2011-2012 school year is 1,075. The district has an enrollment of about 350 ninth-graders who now share a building with grades seven and eight — though they occasionally attend classes at the high school.

The principals behind the plan said that in addition to making things more organized, there are benefits to moving the students into classes with the rest of their peers.

“One of the biggest benefits we’ve found so far is a natural articulation of curriculum,” said Bill McGahee, an assistant principal at North Hills Senior High School. “The majority of the ninth grade academic teachers are housed here in the junior hgh school building. We feel if we bring these teachers over to the high school, just through everyday natural collaboration, our curriculum will naturally articulate.”

In addition, moving to the high school will allow students to begin planning for their post-secondary future, said North Hills Senior High Principal John Kreider.

“This grade is extremely important as it will follow them through their high school transcript and as a result help them get to the next level,” Kreider said.

McGahee said he also expects that there will be an increase in student participation in extracurricular clubs and activities, as well as accelerated development in mental maturity.

“If they are housed in one building, we feel that they would grow socially, emotionally and academically as high school students in the high school,” McGahee said.

The proposal is still in the informal planning stages, the principals said. 

An informational meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, in the North Hills Senior High School auditorium. Additional details and information related to the proposed reconfiguration will be discussed.  

On Monday, the school board also approved .

Also of note was a discussion on the public recognition of North Hills students participating in non-district sporting events.

Some students play on teams that the school does not fund, and are lobbying to receive recognition for their achievements during board meetings.

While no motion was put forward, the general consensus was that the board would form a committee that would help decide on a case-by-case basis whether recognition was appropriate.

The board has recognized achievements in the past, such as those of students who had earned their Eagle Scout rank.

This article originally published noting an incorrect figure for the number of ninth graders. It has been corrected.

How do you feel about moving the ninth grade to the senior high? Tell us in the comments.