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SALT LAKE CITY — The Canyons School District is in the middle of completely revamping which kids attend which schools. District officials are taking their time as they deal with every potential problem.
Educators in the district want all high school students to have as many class opportunities as possible. So, district spokesman Jeff Haney says they're taking the ninth grade out of middle school.
"From the time they're freshmen until they're seniors, students will have a lot more opportunities to take a lot more classes," he said. "Obviously, there are a lot more offerings at the high school, academically, than there are in the middle school."
Students will have a lot more opportunities to take a lot more classes.
–Jeff Haney
Of course, this will have a ripple effect on middle and elementary schools.
"The elementary schools will be [grades] K-5, the middle schools will be 6-8 and the high schools will be 9-12," Haney explained.
These changes were first approved back in 2010, but the district won't put them into effect until the fall of 2013. They're taking their time because there are a lot of moving parts that go into this transformation. For instance, certain teachers will be affected.
"If you're an elementary school teacher, you're technically licensed to teach first through eighth grades.
- The district anticipates most jobs will be secure
- Current district teachers will have the first opportunity to apply and interview for open positions
However, in order to teach seventh- and eighth-graders at a middle school, you would have to earn a subject area endorsement," Haney explained.
He says they've been going around the district to make sure teachers understand what these changes may mean to them. Plus, this will affect some school boundaries.
"The board of education then asks us to get public input, and then, from the public input, they make their final decision," Haney said.
He says thousands of people have chimed in during the public opinion period. He says all of it is being weighed into the decisions.
