The Anson County Board of Education met on Monday, March 27 to discuss the status of sixth graders in the county and where they can be best allocated for the 2023-24 school year.

The Anson County Board of Education met on Monday, March 27 to discuss the status of sixth graders in the county and where they can be best allocated for the 2023-24 school year.

<p>Dr. George Truman outlines how this survey needs to properly done so that they can get the best results that will accurately convey input form the community.</p>

Dr. George Truman outlines how this survey needs to properly done so that they can get the best results that will accurately convey input form the community.

WADESBORO —Should they stay or should they go?

That was the question that the Anson County Board of Education attempted to answer on Monday night as to where sixth graders should be placed in the county. Should those students stay at the 6-8 Anson Middle School, return to their elementary schools in a K-6 model, or attend a re-imagined Sixth Grade Academy, the first of its type in the state that would be a school dedicated solely to that grade?

Behavioral incidents, staffing shortages, and the failed proposal to build a new middle in school in the county have all co-mingled to create the myriad of problems that have led the board to this momentous decision.

“The only way the board can move forward with a new proposed middle school is to acquire additional funding from the state or local government,” Chairman Dr. George Truman explained at the beginning of the meeting. “State law prohibits the board from participating or entering any contract until all proposed funds are approved. Therefore, the board has chosen to take no action on the proposed bids at this time.”

The proposed middle school would have included a sixth-grade wing in order to accommodate for the number of students within the county.

Board Member Mike Turner was in favor of sixth graders returning to their elementary schools, stating that a number of parents have shared this with him, and it also matches data from a recent survey that was taken.

“I’m in favor of returning the sixth-graders to the home school,” Turner explained. “Parents want it. Every parent I’ve talked to that’s called me, grandparents and members of the community, have stressed their desire to have the sixth grade back at the home school.”

Board member Lisa Davis agreed with Turner, pointing out that the sixth-graders were preforming better and that the moving of the sixth-graders would allow for more attention on the issues in the middle school.

“I do believe our sixth-graders, when they were at the elementary school, performed better on intergrade testing; I think they performed as better students,” Davis told. “I think it would also give us the opportunity to lay more focus on seventh and eighth graders, and to be able to maybe fix some of the woes that Mrs. Hasty shared with us.”

Emily Hasty, a parent of a Anson Middle student, shared some concerns with the Board of Education during the open comment section, primarily regarding long-term substitute teachers, frequent staffing turnover (her son has lost two core curriculum teachers in two months) and physical altercations.

“Lastly, I would like to bring to your attention the amount of altercations that take place on daily basis,” Hasty said. “This is very concerning as a parents whose child may be in harm’s way while being innocent. I understand that fighting can’t be predicted nor completely stopped. I would like to see if there’s another way to enforce more consequences to help prevent the fighting. Teachers shouldn’t have to put themselves in the middle of student fights and risk being hurt or fired because those are hands on a student.”

Board member Dr. Bobbie Little was opposed to moving students back to the elementary school, saying that the “true middle school concept is 6-8” grades. Vice chairman Frank Liles and board member Marilyn Bennett agreed with Little. “It’s far better if they’re all together [in middle school]” Bennett said.

Superintendent Howard McLean proposed a “radical” alternative — a first of its kind Sixth Grade Academy. They would use an already existing building to turn into the academy, with plenty of space for the sixth-graders. The academy would focus on both CTE and college-preparedness.

Anson CTE Director Denise Stevens agreed with McLean’s proposal.

“I thought it was perfect because it really is you’ve got sixth graders who will be able to go into their own setting and become leaders on their own before they go out into the middle school,” she said. “And they’ll set their tone amongst themselves. They get together. They’re not separated all over the county they’re together.”

“I want to bring a different outlook on all the conversations. Create a sixth-grade academy where we can give sixth graders their own building…” McLean explained. “And we make that a sixth-grade academy with the emphasis on CTE, where we have 226 upcoming sixth graders where we can place them at their own location.”

“And also, you will say ‘well, suppose I don’t want my child to focus on a pathway of CTE.’ They don’t have to,” McLean began, “because in my academy, we can also focus on career and college career, where they have a choice.”

Davis shared concerns with how staffing at this new school would be addressed when there is a district-wide shortage of staff already. Board member Carol Ann Gibson said there were already major staffing shortages for their summer school last year and it has continued into this school year.

“We don’t anticipate hiring any new staff, we have the staff already within the district,” McLean explained. “My vision and my thinking is that we will be moving around staff.”

Davis added that she did not like that this proposal would create another transition year for students, which has shown to create lower student performance overall.

Many of the board members agreed that they needed more input from the community before reaching on a decision. They attempted to narrow down their options, but ultimately decided that a survey would be the best solution at this time.

“I would like for us to be able to allow parents to choose where their child attends, the sixth grade at home elementary school, or my option, would be to attend the sixth-grade academy, provided he [Superintendent McLean] would have at least 250 students,” said Dr. Truman at the end of their deliberations in an attempt to reach middle ground.

“I totally agree that we should let the parents make the choice,” Turner said. “But if we don’t listen to parents and we don’t make a change, we’re going to lose more students,” referring to the ADM (average daily membership) of their schools which has suffered recently. Turned said that in his district of Ansonville, many local parents have chosen to send their children to schools in neighboring Stanly and Montgomery Counties.

The results from the survey will be available before the next board meeting on April 24th, and it is encouraged that all parents with fourth, fifth, and rising sixth graders fill out the survey.

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