Middle School Setup Adopted for Burbank

Faced with soaring costs because of increased enrollment, Burbank school officials have adopted a plan to create four-year high schools and scale back elementary schools to kindergarten through fifth grades.

The reconfiguration, which will create sixth- through eighth-grade middle schools, will start in September, 1989, officials said. Specifics and costs will be worked out during the coming year.

The five-member school board unanimously approved the plan Thursday after only a few minutes of discussion and without any opposition from parents. The plan had been under consideration for about two years.

The district’s 11 elementary schools are at capacity, said James Perino, assistant superintendent of instruction. Under the present system, projected enrollments for the 1988-89 school year would exceed capacity by 3% to 9% at seven sites.

Faced Higher Costs

Without the restructuring, officials said, the district could be forced into opening another elementary school and increasing operation costs.

Under the plan, middle schools will replace the district’s three junior high schools--Jordan, Muir and Burbank. Sixth-graders will start attending those schools, whereas ninth-graders who will start going to either Burbank or Burroughs high schools.

District Supt. Arthur Pierce said the high schools have the facilities to handle the added enrollment from the ninth-graders. “We hope to purchase six portable classrooms next year and use them at the high schools if we need to,” he said.

Officials had said it would cost from $14,540 to $68,540 to convert Burroughs to a four-year school and $97,782 to $147,762 to convert Burbank. The cost would depend on whether the schools switched from a six- to seven-period day, and if one classroom at each of the schools is set aside for three teachers to use for conferences.

The plan first had been proposed about two years ago when the district’s enrollment was dropping. Officials were considering closing as many as three schools to save money. But the trend has reversed. Junior high enrollment has stabilized and high school enrollment is expected to increase by 1992.

Middle School Lauded

Pierce praised the middle-school part of the plan.

“Instructionally, this is an improvement,” he said. “The middle school concept will better meet the needs of adolescent youngsters. Sixth-graders will still stay with one teacher most of the time, but will move around a bit. It will be a better transition into high school.”

Pierce said officials will have to look at the need for more improvements at the high schools. “I’m sure parents will want those schools to be up to college standards,” he said.

He said a bond issue may be proposed to finance improvements.