For decades, Utica Community Schools has operated with sophomores through seniors placed at the high school level. However, according to a memo sent out by superintendent Robert Monroe on Oct. 13, the district is reconsidering the structure and may add all freshmen to Utica, Eisenhower, and Stevenson. In upcoming years, UCS is looking to shift towards having kindergarten through fifth grade in elementary, sixth through eighth grade in middle school, and ninth through twelfth grade in high school.
“The current grade configurations were based on the district’s building capacities,” Monroe said. “With recent changes to our enrollment, we now have the ability to consider our grade configurations not soley on capacity, but rather from an academic lens.”
Part of the charm and attractiveness of UCS is their specialty programs. The newest edition, the Health and Human Services program at Utica High School, has given some freshmen a taste of high school. However, on the other hand, it has given general education high school students and teachers a taste of overcrowding. Utica’s building is the oldest in district, and the school’s principal, Timothy Youngblood, is already uneasy about the possible reconfigurations.
“As far as class sizes, I brought that up as a concern last week. We had a meeting about this. I’m not sure how we can fit 400 more kids in this school. I just don’t see it,” Youngblood said. “I think there’s going to be some boundary reshaping. I don’t know what we’re going to be looking at because it’s so early on. If they put that many more kids in the school right now, would I be concerned? For sure. It’s an old school, so it’s not built for that amount of students. I have some nerves about that.”
Youngblood’s questions have not gone completely unnoticed, but they have gone unanswered. Monroe commented on the situation without specifics. Speculation has been left to Utica family, and most thoughts point towards rezoning in-district neighborhoods.
“Capacity is an issue that would be addressed as part of a study of grade configurations, if there is a decision to move forward,” Monroe said. “For our high schools, the additional grade would mean a return to the enrollment that they had about fifteen years ago prior to the declines in student enrollment.”
All angles considered, UCS is trying to keep up with the times. Modernizing the district’s building configurations has been a topic for a long time. While nothing is solidified at the moment, plans assert that this will go into effect in upcoming years.
Comments and concerns about the change can be submitted the UCS via this link, Attendance Area Feedback/Question Form.
