As part of St. Cloud Area School District 742, Clearview has traditionally offered classes through sixth grade, however the district noted new seventh graders coming into middle school from Clearview often had challenges to overcome.

 

“Starting middle school a year later than the other students, we learned Clearview students weren’t yet acclimated as the other students were,” said District 742 Assistant Supt. Marsha Baisch. “They had catching up to do. Having them all start together makes more sense.”

 

Previous to this decision, Baisch said the district received numerous requests from Clearview parents to send their sixth graders to South Junior High each year so they’d be with their peers and not get left behind.

 

“The adolescent years are already hard,” she explained. “Coming in to middle school when the majority of your peers have already been there for a year is more of a challenge and makes it harder for them to get acclimated.”

 

Attending South Junior High offers Clearview’s sixth graders additional benefits, such as having more electives and extracurricular activities, because more choices are now available to them. The district also noted that sixth graders have more in common with 12 and 14-year-olds than they do with younger students, another reason they determined the change was the right direction to go.

 

An additional factor in the decision was Clearview’s building, which had become too small to support current enrollment. The school had brought in portable classrooms to provide enough space but were recently told they would no longer be able to utilize them. The portables were removed this summer.

 

There had been discussions in the past concerning Clearview adding seventh and eighth grades, however Baisch said enrollment numbers haven’t show they would support the addition. All of the other elementary schools in the district are PK-5 with the exception of Kennedy Community School in St. Joseph, which offers preschool through eighth grade.

 

None of Clearview’s tenured teachers were laid off in the transition, although some have been reassigned. 

 

“The decision was made in the best interest of the sixth graders,” said Baisch. “They’ll transition together as a middle school and align with the junior high. They’ll also receive more pertinent education and teaching that is more appropriate for their developmental age.” 

 

Baisch indicated she wasn’t aware of any negative feedback from the community concerning the change.

 

St. Cloud Area School District 742 is the largest school district in Central Minnesota, with nearly 10,000 students in eight elementary schools, three middle schools (6-8), two high schools (9-12), and three alternative learning schools.