When will the enrollment process begin for middle school transition?
Current fifth and sixth grade SPS students advancing to their neighborhood middle school (check for 2023-24 school assignments) do not need to complete the Open Enrollment process. Middle school students wishing to attend a school other than their assigned neighborhood school may apply to attend an Option School or Program or Choice School during Open Enrollment, Jan. 3 through Feb. 15. Class registration is completed at the school level.
When do I sign up for classes?
Schools will host Curriculum Nights in February so students and families can learn more about course offerings. Middle school counselors will visit elementary schools soon after with registration paperwork that students can bring home to complete.
What is the neighborhood model?
The neighborhood model is a way to group cohorts of students in a specific area of each school building where they go from class to class together. This allows students to be familiar with their classmates and teachers. This video has more information:
SPS Middle Schools and the Neighborhood Model from Spokane Public Schools on Vimeo.
I currently live in a school boundary that will feed to a different school this fall. Why is that change happening?
SPS re-drew school boundaries in 2021 as a result of the district building three brand new middle schools (Flett, Yasuhara and Peperzak) and the addition of sixth graders at all middle schools. The boundaries were re-drawn to create cohorts of students feeding into the same middle and high schools. Previously, more schools split their students into multiple feeder patterns.
How will busing work?
Spokane Public Schools is currently evaluating its busing system for the 2023-24 school year. We anticipate more information being available in April or May.
What kind of academic opportunities will be available?
Every middle school offers a variety of rigorous and effective academic opportunities to prepare students for high school and beyond. Contact your school to get specific information.
How will schools prepare sixth graders for being in school with seventh and eighth graders who are older and might be more physically mature?
Schools have robust support systems in place to help with the transition, specifically for sixth graders. Middle schools on Spokane’s north side welcomed sixth graders in the fall of 2022 to great success. SPS hosted a webinar in January 2023 discussing the transition for rising sixth graders:
Webinar: Middle School Transition from Spokane Public Schools on Vimeo.
Why don’t we have “accelerated” classes for sixth graders?
To help students with a successful transition from elementary to middle school, sixth grade students attend English/Social Studies and Math/Science as block courses. We currently don’t accelerate in sixth grade, but students will have those options throughout middle school beginning in seventh grade.
How did you decide which sixth grade teachers to assign to each middle school?
Current sixth grade teachers may volunteer to fill open positions in their subject areas in feeder schools or elect to stay at their elementary school for an in-building reassignment. If there are more volunteers than positions, volunteers will be chosen based on seniority. If a school remains overstaffed, volunteers may go to cross feeder pattern schools with open positions.
Will Tessera still be offered for sixth graders?
Starting in Fall 2022, Tessera will serve elementary school students in grades 3-5. Middle school students identified as highly capable may elect to apply to attend Odyssey Middle School full time.
Will my sixth grader have lunch with an eighth grader?
Please check your school’s bell schedules, which are typically updated, if necessary, during the summer. Bell schedules are available via the schools’ homepages.
With a large student population, will there be more counselors and administrators?
The number of counselors and administrators is dependent on the school enrollment.
