Mineola Schools Detail Grade Transitions

Following the defeat of the , Mineola School Superintendent Dr. Michael Nagler began working on , now that he knew what his options were.

His first efforts yielded a plan that he decided to tweak because “I was not happy about the third grade and how they were moving,” he said, singling out the first grade at because they would have moved four times in four years.

“This plan slows down the process a little bit,” Nagler said last Wednesday at the monthly meeting of the Board of Education at the , pointing out that it also addresses parents’ concerns about the third grade remaining where they currently are.

The plan sets up for all students in Willis Avenue to go to either or in 2011-12. Current first and third grade children in Meadow will stay and be joined next year by Cross’ current third grade when they become fourth graders.

In terms of Hampton, the current first grade will remain, as will the third grade when they become fourth graders.

“It sets them up for one transition into the final configuration,” Dr. Nagler said. “Second grade would leave anyway for third and fourth, fourth would leave for five, six, seven. So it’s a smoother transition.”

All current second graders would go to next year for the third grade. This sets them up for two years in Jackson before moving on to the middle school.

All fifth graders would move to the , which is being called an “intermediate” or “upper level middle school,” and eighth grade would move to .

The superintendent suggested a discussion to be held between parents and community as the district might want to “move away from the term middle school” as in the new configuration “its more an intermediate school than a middle school. Its not running on a nine period day. It’s going to have a completely different structure more akin to what you’re used to in an elementary building.”

The only grade with one transition is the current third grade at Cross, which would go to Meadow for a year then the middle school.

“The benefits of this (is) WIllis Avenue remains the same so we’re not moving teachers in Willis Avenue next year,” Dr. Nagler said. “When we close the building the following year, that’s when we’ll move those teachers.”

In terms of school start times, Dr. Nagler said they and the bus routes were “pretty much finalized,” but he is obligated to consult with the teachers’ unions as it is in their contracts. The high school and middle school will not be changing start times. Parents will be notified by March 1.