In an effort to meet standards of the federal No Child Left Behind law, the St. Paul School District is considering closing Humboldt Junior High School for a year while the school revamps its curriculum and staff because it has consistently failed to meet annual student progress benchmarks.

Closing the school for a year is one of several options contained in a draft plan for restructuring the school, submitted to Minnesota Department of Education on Tuesday as required under law. Closing would allow officials to develop an environmental science studies program for the school.

During the closing, students would be sent to schools in the district that "facilitate(s) parental choice and ease of transition for the district," according to the planning document.

The hope is that such a program would attract more students to the school, which has seen its enrollment plummet in recent years. It also could help failing test scores in two ways: Educators say students in junior high and high school learn better when they study subjects that engage them and are relevant. It also might help attract students better equipped for junior high school course work. Humboldt currently has the highest percentage in the district of incoming seventh-graders who fail to meet reading standards.

Environmental science "is a high-interest field that can impact students' motivation, and the reading instruction can be geared around it," said Matthew Mohs, the district's director of Title I programs, which are meant to aid low-income students.

The decision of whether to close the school, or "pause" it as district officials call it, isn't likely to be made for a few weeks to a couple of months. "The Humboldt plan is still very much evolving," said Ann Carroll, a member of the St. Paul school board.

In addition to the curriculum overhaul, officials are considering reviewing and overhauling the organization and teaching staff of the school, adding sixth-graders to the school, which currently has only seventh and eighth grades, and seeking a partner organization that would add stability and services for students and the community to colocate at the school.

The Humboldt draft plan was unveiled on the same day as a reorganization plan for Arlington High School, also required by the No Child Left Behind law to submit a reorganization plan. Arlington, however, is much farther along toward restructuring, having revamped its curriculum to open this fall with an emphasis on biosciences and technology.

Gregory A. Patterson • 651-298-1546