CENTRAL KITSAP – All CK School District sixth grade students will move to middle schools for the 2016-2017 school year. The space that becomes available by moving sixth graders to middle schools allows CKSD to accept state funding for reducing K-3 class sizes.

The CKSD board of directors voted unanimously in favor of the move during their Nov. 24 meeting.

With the addition of sixth graders, the student population at Central Kitsap Middle School will go from about 489 this year to 690 students in 2016-2017. Fairview will go from 485 to 688. Ridgetop will go from 437 to 620. Klahowya will go from 331 to 483.

Superintendent David McVicker said sixth graders would benefit from expanded learning opportunities provided by the middle school model. But the move would also give the district the classroom space it needs for reduced classroom sizes for grades K-3.

“We know that reduced class sizes in grades K-3 will pay huge dividends for our students – both in learning and personal attention from staff. Based on legislation, we will need a minimum of 22 additional classrooms to reduce K-3 class sizes across the District for next school year,” McVicker wrote in a letter to the board.

But, “the clincher (is) we know that in K-3 kids must have a solid foundation. The state is providing us resources. We’ll need another 22 classrooms next year. If we don’t find a space then we just get to say no to the dollars,” McVicker said.

Franklyn McKenzie, CKSD director of secondary teaching and learning, said a previous move of ninth graders to the high schools was successful.

“A lot of what we’ve done to move the ninth graders up has positioned us well to move sixth graders up. I think it was a fantastic move not doing both of those at one time,” McKenzie said.

[ LINK: 6th Graders Moving Up (pdf document) ]