Wyoming Area School District sixth graders will move up to the Secondary Center starting next school year, according to Superintendent Jon William Pollard.
Sixth grade students and teachers will have a dedicated space in what is currently the “math wing” of the Secondary Center.
It will be part of the new Wyoming Area Middle School, or middle school wing, within the Secondary Center. All sixth, seventh, and eighth graders will be located in a shared area with their own stairwells and hallways.
At an information session on Wednesday, Pollard said there are no immediate plans for any further consolidations, building movements, or closures. The Intermediate Center will house only fourth and fifth grades starting next year.
The change intends to improve academic and social-emotional programming for students. An FAQ sheet available on the school district website noted the grade 6-8 configuration better supports curriculum coherence, smoother transition to high school, and targeted middle-level instructional practices.
Pollard, at the information session, identified other reasons for creating a dedicated middle school in the Secondary Center.
“We’re looking at enrollment trends, facilities usage, the ability to offer special education programming, considerations from previous administrations, and anticipated savings,” he said, noting that there is adequate room for the sixth grade students in the Secondary Center due to decreases in enrollment.
“Over the next three to five years, through attrition, we can reduce our faculty and staff, and at the same time, offer some additional special education programs, where we can keep Wyoming Area students in Wyoming Area buildings, and create opportunities to save money for the district and for our taxpayers.”
Pollard said middle school students will have a dedicated bathroom, locker location, and lunch period with limited interaction with high school students. Some areas, however, like the cafeteria and art classes, may be shared at times. Buses will be shared with high school students, but there will be assigned seating spaces based on grade level.
Shared spaces will be limited and supervised with increased security measures.
Wyoming Area Secondary Center Principal Greg Reilly noted at the information session Wednesday the district is exploring physical and visual separation a middle school wing on the second floor, with more information to come at the next session.
There will be curriculum changes regarding pacing, instructional strategies, and course sequencing to reflect middle-level state educational standards. There are also plans for team-based scheduling, increased instructional blocks for literacy and math, an advisory period for executive function and social-emotional learning for middle school students.
Reilly provided more details of new branding and developments for each middle school grade level. The theme of the middle school is to “find your path.”
The sixth grade theme is “you belong here,” with electives in effective writing, Google application, and social skills. The seventh grade theme is to “grow here,” with electives in family consumer science, money matters, and STEM. The eighth grade theme is to “lead here,” with electives in career writing, science and ecology, and world language exploration.
Reilly said all middle school students will have art and wellness electives and a dedicated music block.
The district also plans to expand clubs, intramurals, student council, and music and arts programs, and to create school dances, field trip opportunities, and other activities for middle school students.
High school programming will continue uninterrupted, and extracurriculars will remain unchanged and separate.
Sixth grade teachers will move to the Secondary Center. Staffing will be adjusted to support the new 6-8 model.
“These changes may feel overwhelming, especially for students and their families moving into sixth grade,” Pollard said in the letter to students and families. “We are taking specific steps to make this transition a positive experience and support the students.”
The FAQ sheet noted several plans to aid students in the social-emotional transition, including tours and orientation, grade-level counselors, peer mentoring, and advisory curriculum on belonging and transitions.
Reilly said the Wyoming Area Middle School will implement a multi-tiered system of supports and offer additional aid in the Warriors In Need (WIN) remediation block that will be implemented next school year.
In addition to the move, the superintendent’s letter identified several other transitions planned for the 2026-2027 school year.
This includes a new Program of Studies and class schedule, with a 7-period day and the WIN block, for middle and high school students. The schedule does not change the length of the school day. Also, the Infinite Campus student information system will replace CSIU for grades K-12.
There are also plans for several additional information sessions and opportunities for community input. Final building logistics, including school schedule, updated procedures, and maps and traffic flow diagrams, will be communicated at a later date.
Pollard said additional questions will be actively answered on the FAQ sheet on the district website.