Moiola to Keep Its Middle School Grades
School trustees, grappling with the district’s middle school policy, recently decided to keep Fred Moiola Elementary School’s unusual kindergarten through eighth-grade format unchanged.
Officials were considering limiting attendance at the school to kindergarten through fifth grades, sending the older students to three district middle schools.
But opposition from parents, students and alumni convinced the Fountain Valley School District’s Board of Education to continue providing the kindergarten through eighth-grade program, one of the few countywide.
Some parents said they prefer this alternative because it allows their children to remain in an elementary school setting for a longer period of time.
About 150 upper-graders attend Moiola compared to the 2,000 or so at district middle schools. Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders at Moiola can attend the middle schools under open enrollment.
Trustees voted 4 to 0 last week to leave Moiola as it is, with Trustee Barbara A. Vogel absent.
Schools like Moiola once were the norm districtwide, but in the early 1980s trustees began converting to the middle school format. Moiola, popular for its location and high test scores, was the last holdout.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
