Burnsville-Eagan-Savage district asks: Where should ninth-graders go to school?

Burnsville-Eagan-Savage school officials are talking about moving freshmen to Burnsville High School, but some residents are skeptical.

By SARAH LEMAGIE, Star Tribune

Last update: September 24, 2009 - 11:04 PM

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That sentiment was shared by several residents at a community meeting this week in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District, which is trying to decide whether students in certain grades should move to different schools.

Much of the talk centers on ninth-graders, who currently go to the district's three junior high schools. A task force of 75 residents and staff members, appointed to take a broad look at many of the district's facilities needs, has discussed whether it would make sense to move the freshmen to Burnsville High School.

It's not the first time the topic has come up, partly because, unlike most Minnesota high schools, Burnsville does not serve ninth-graders. Teenagers in grades 10-12 attend the school, and seniors take some classes at a satellite campus a mile away.

The switch's advantages would include giving ninth-graders access to a broader array of advanced classes and putting them in a building with older students who, like the freshmen, are earning credits toward GPAs that count for college admissions.

On Monday night, at the first of three focus groups the district plans to hold on the subject this fall, some parents pointed out that the current system has worked for years. "I just don't see that the ninth-graders are missing out on a whole lot of opportunities in general," said Pat Thompson, father of two children in the district.

Roughly 40 percent of the task force's members favored a change, and "to me, this indicates there may be some legs to the idea," said Superintendent Randy Clegg.

But the task force couldn't reach a consensus, so it has moved onto other issues, and the school board is seeking more public input before making the call on its own.

If freshmen moved to the high school, the district would also send sixth-graders to middle schools rather than elementary schools.

The changes wouldn't necessarily save money. Moving the sixth-graders would free up enough space for the district to close an elementary school, but moving the freshmen would require a 17-room addition to the high school. Construction would cost an estimated $13 million and require a bond referendum -- a prospect greeted with skepticism by many residents at Monday night's meeting.

The school board may decide to keep things the way they are, but if it pursues a change, it will seek even more public comment, Clegg said. The switch would take years, between passing a bond question, building the addition and navigating the controversial process of closing an elementary school, he said, adding: "I easily could see that being five years, on a fast track."

Sarah Lemagie • 952-882-9016

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