WEBSTER CO., KY (WFIE) -
The Webster County School Board is moving closer to adding a middle school in the district.
This week the board approved a motion to set aside four and a half million dollars for construction.
Once this merger is put into play, all seventh and eighth grade students in elementary schools across the county will join the new middle school.
Talks of bringing a middle school to the Webster County School District have gone on for years.
"I think the discussion first started in the late 50's, so this is a 60 year discussion," said superintendent Dr. James Kemp.
But now the board is moving ahead with a two phased approach. One big change recently was to close Slaughters Elementary, and school officials say as difficult as that was, it was necessary.
"The fact that we would change the format and the structure of each of our schools can probably be scary to individuals," Kemp said.
Assistant superintendent Riley Ramsey says adding a middle school will help the students learn, and more efficiently meet those Kentucky Core Content standards.
"We are going to be able to move a little faster and to ensure that our kids are getting the full gamut of information," Ramsey said.
Roughly 300 students will move into the new middle school that will be connected to the current high school in Dixon.
Kemp says they renovated the high school a few years ago, and 15 classrooms were left vacant.
"The original intent of the board always was to perhaps be able to come back and use that for a junior high program," Kemp said.
School officials say the cafeteria, library, band and art room will temporarily be shared. Other changes include the addition of more classrooms and administrative offices.
"It's the kids that accept the change most readily and I think it will be exciting for them. I know we've had a number of changes already, but I think this is another step in the right direction," Ramsey said.
School officials say they're still in the preliminary stages, but they'd like to have this middle school open for students by the 2013-2014 school year.
Copyright 2012 WFIE. All rights reserved.
