KETTERING — A local school district will merge its middle school students into one building starting next year.
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The Kettering Board of Education has decided to merge Van Buren Middle School and Kettering Middle School into one unified campus, according to a Kettering City Schools spokesperson.
This will happen at the current Kettering Middle School location on Glengarry Drive.
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The merger aims to enhance educational experiences by bringing all middle school students together, fostering greater collaboration and community, and ensuring continuity of services as students’ progress through their formative years, the spokesperson said.
“We are confident that the end result will be incredibly positive and enriching for every single one of our middle school students,” said Mindy McCarty-Stewart, superintendent of Kettering City Schools. “With the amount of data and information we have gathered, we truly believe this is the best option moving forward for all of our middle school students and staff, districtwide.”
The decision to merge the two middle schools is also fiscally responsible, addressing the high maintenance costs associated with older facilities, such as the 77-year-old Van Buren Middle School building, the board said.
The school board added that the unified middle school will allow for increased flexibility in elective courses and more opportunities for students to engage in clubs and activities, with no plans to lay off or reduce staff as part of the merger.
Informational meetings have been scheduled to address questions from the community, with sessions planned for both staff and parents of Van Buren and Kettering Middle Schools this month.
The meetings are listed below
- Van Buren Middle School Staff- Nov. 5 at 7:50 a.m.
- Kettering Middle School Staff- Nov. 5 at 4 p.m.
- Van Buren Middle School Parent Forum- Nov. 10 at 6 p.m.
- Kettering Middle School Parent Forum- Nov. 12 at 6 p.m.
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