Changing Way School Is Structured

Our school district wants to restructure its three elementary schools so that K-1 is in one school, 2-3 in another and 4-5 in a third. I am unable to see how this will improve education. What benefits do you see to this plan and what is your opinion of it overall? - Seeking Information
Answer: There doesn't seem to be a perfect grade configuration that will automatically lead to higher student achievement and better social adjustment for most students. In recent years, however, many school districts have tried a variety of grade configurations in hopes of providing a better learning environment. Why don't you simply ask the administration in your district why it is considering restructuring the elementary schools?
Some of the reasons for having a smaller age span in a school include the opportunity to concentrate on building basic skills for the next level and to focus more intensively on the developmental needs of a particular age group. Plus, the teachers can be very supportive of each other because they are working with the same age group.
At the same time, one of the big negatives for having a greater number of schools is that the children have to make so many transitions in moving from one school to the next. Also, it is hard to build continuity when half or a third of the student population is leaving the school every year.