The Butler School District announced this week that officials are considering switching to full-day kindergarten. But, that’s not the only change planned for next school year.
In a letter sent Wednesday to Butler School District parents and taxpayers, Superintendent Brian White said all these proposed changes are part of the district’s long-term strategic plan, which he and other district leaders have worked with the community on for the past several months.
The plan- which is not yet complete- has led to the possibility of several changes. One of which is the implementation of full-day kindergarten starting this fall. Other changes include some reworking at the Butler Intermediate High School and the Center Avenue Community School.
At the intermediate, the superintendent says staff is working to reconfigure the layout of the building into small learning communities, which he believes will help students get a more personalized approach to learning. Students will be divided into small groups in the same grade and take all of their core academic classes in the same area of the building. There are currently 1,600 students attending the intermediate in grades 7-9.
At the Center Avenue Community School, which the district says provides an alternative education program for students in the greatest need of intervention, staff is working on blending classroom learning with cyber school.
At the elementary level, the district is working to keep class sizes small and to focus heavily on reading.
“We are proposing the establishment of our reading intervention program, which will require significant investments in professional development, but will rely on fewer reading specialists,” White said.
The district’s entire strategic plan is available here.