|  | School district takes action to address current, future challenges
3/31/2003 11:05 AMIn an effort to ensure that the educational needs of Saint Paul’s families continue to be met, the Saint Paul public school district announced today (Monday, March 31) the discontinuation of sixth grade at one middle school and the relocation of a popular language program. School district leaders hope the action will provide better service to students, make efficient use of space and give Saint Paul Schools flexibility to address future challenges.
Beginning fall 2003, Wilson Middle School, located at 631 N. Albert St., will no longer offer sixth grade, and the Limited English Achievement Program (LEAP) will move into the Wilson Middle School building. LEAP was recently notified that its current lease of space at 494 Sibley St. would not be renewed.
The discontinuation of sixth grade at Wilson is in response to a districtwide decline in enrollment at the middle/junior high school levels and a decline in the number of students choosing the middle school option (schools that serve sixth-grade students and seventh and eigth graders). The school district estimates that there will be 800 excess spaces at the middle/junior high school level next year, meaning other schools will have space to enroll students who would have attended sixth grade at Wilson.
While Wilson will loose some revenue due to decreased enrollment, the losses, and the cost of administration and operation of the building, will be offset by the LEAP program’s move to the school. According to school district officials, the co-location will allow Wilson to continue to offer a full array of core curricular and elective classes, something that would not have been possible if LEAP didn’t move into the building or if Wilson continued to offer sixth grade.
Moving LEAP into the Wilson building also decreases the school district’s expenditures by eliminating the LEAP lease payment, provides flexibility to handle overcrowding at the high school level as well as to respond to new refugees from other countries. The district had considered moving LEAP into a new building at1210 University Ave., but will now explore other possibilities for the site.
“This is a creative solution to current and future challenges,” said Superintendent Patricia Harvey. “These changes demonstrate our commitment to being good stewards of the public’s trust and resources.”
According to Harvey, Wilson staff may be reassigned. Rudy Ross will continue as principal at Wilson and will take on leadership of the LEAP program.
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