LONG BEACH, Miss. (WLOX) – With more families moving to Long Beach, the school district is exploring new ways to handle growth in its schools.
A proposed realignment could reshape how elementary students are grouped across campuses.
“It’s a permanent solution rather than a band-aid solution,” Long Beach Superintendent Dr. Talia Lock said.
Dr. Lock said the growth of the city is leading to an imbalance among elementary school campuses.
In addition, two of the campuses are for PreK through third grade, then all students funnel into Harper McCaughn Elementary starting in grade four.
The proposal makes a linear pathway, with each school having a group of grades for the entire city.
“This new realignment plan would help us create more equity between the two campuses so we wouldn’t possibly lose any federal funding at one campus,” said Dr. Lock.
The district hosted two meetings on Wednesday to get feedback from stakeholders. Long Beach resident and mother of 3, Courtni Dedeaux, was at one of them. She believes the proposal would be best for everyone involved.
“PreK through first grade definitely need to be separate from the second and third graders. They are growing up and getting a little older, and they learn a little differently,” Dedeaux said. “Then, the fifth and sixth graders together, I think it’s really good.”
The proposal would need to be approved by the Long Beach School Board to become official. If approved, this would mark the second time in the last five years that the district zones have shifted in Long Beach.
Superintendent Lock said if approved, the changes could go into effect as early as next school year.
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