At last night's South Bend Community School Board working session, Trustee Mark Costello presented a proposal to restructure the district’s grade levels. Costello, a former middle school teacher and principal, recommended shifting most elementary schools to serve grades K-6, while middle schools would focus on grades 7-8.
Costello said that middle school is a critical stage for children's development and said the current structure does not fully support students’ needs.
“The sixth grade area is a very complex grade level, and so the plan that I have devised focuses on sixth grade,” Costello said.
The working session, which was informal, also included an update from the corporation’s Facilities Master Plan Committee on the district's long-term plans. No decisions were made during the hour-long session.
