Most of Appleton’s elementary schools are considered overcrowded, and one way the district could change that is by moving sixth graders to middle school.
District Chief Financial Officer Greg Hartjes says it’s an option that a special committee is looking into. He says students and their families would be able to get to know their middle school over three years, instead of two. But he says there would be challenges with space at the four middle schools.
The district used to have junior high schools, with seventh through ninth graders. Hartjes says they moved the ninth graders to high school, when Appleton North opened in 1995.
At that time, he says there were thoughts that the district would move sixth graders to the middle school, when the time was right.
A future needs committee is also considering expanding elementary buildings, or adding a new school.
