This webpage will be updated continually. Please check back for new information and details each month.

Over the past four years, the administration, with the support of the school board, researched grade configuration options to address overcrowding at the elementary schools, as well as addressing safety concerns at the Intermediate High School. Several demographic studies have been completed, community engagement meetings were held, and surveys were distributed to discuss two options for the district. 

The administrative team’s grade configuration recommendation is Option B –  grades PreK-4 in our elementary schools, grades 5-8 in our middle schools with RIHS becoming a fifth middle school and grades 9-12 at the high school. The aforementioned will address the capacity issues at the elementary schools, as well as create a 5th neighborhood middle school. Additional learning environments include the Reading Virtual Academy , RHS evening learning academy and RHS accelerated academies at Glenside and City Line.

The school board will vote on Option B during the Regular Board meeting on August 22, 2018 in preparation for an August 2019 implementation.

Overview
Overall, we know we can do some things better for our kids and staff, and that is our goal, Dr. Mumin explained during a staff meeting held on March 12 and three parent meetings held on March 13 and 14. To start, the district embarked on a feasibility plan study three years ago to determine grade configuration options that would:

1. Reduce elementary enrollment
   
   
2. Make the district more academically competitive
   
   
3. Match teacher certifications to grade configurations to attract staff
   
   
4. Help address academic achievement across grades PreK-12
   
   
5. Build safe learning environments
   
   
6. Increase specialized program, such as STEM, STEAM and Gifted
   
   
7. Provide a continuum of special education services for students in each community school

The plan resulted in two options:

Option A: 
Elementary Schools
Grades PreK-4 

Middle Schools
Grades 5-6

Reading Intermediate High School
Grades 7-8

Reading High School
Grades 9-12

Option B: 
Elementary Schools
Grades PreK-4 

Middle Schools
Grades 5-8 and Reading Intermediate becomes a fifth neighborhood middle school

Reading High School
Grades 9-12

Current administrative recommendation
The administrative team’s current recommendation is Option B for the following reasons:

1. Addresses elementary enrollment
   
   
2. Eliminates Reading Intermediate High School
   
   
3. Limits transitions for students
   
   
4. Provides flexibility for educational options
   
   
5. Helps to build relationships between kids and teachers through looping and teaming, as well as builds relationships between parents, teachers and schools
   
   
6. Our community has expressed they like and care for our neighborhood schools
   
   

Parent Feedback Surveys
Even though the administrative team noted Option B as its recommendation, it is not final, and we are requesting feedback from parents. Please take our brief online survey to share your opinions and tell us which grade configuration option you support.

1. Survey (English)

2. Survey (Spanish)

FAQs
1. The one recurring question at the parent meetings was, with Option B, will grades 5 and 8 be together?

• Grades 5 and 8 would have limited interaction. 
  
  
• Grades 5 and 6 would be grouped together and grades 7 and 8 would be grouped together. The groups would be located in different sections of the building. 
  
  
• Grades 5 and 6 would operate on a block schedule, and grades 7 and 8 would operate on a separate period schedule so they would not be changing classes at the same time, thus, limiting hallway interaction.
  
  
• In addition, grades 7-8 would operate within four-man teaching teams, meaning their classrooms would be located next to each other (with the exception of lunch) so they would not have to move from one side of the building to another to get to their next class. They move in the shape of square to get from one class to the next, thus, limiting hallway traffic and interaction.
  
  
• Our middle schools currently have two safe school officers. With Option B, this would remain, and in some schools, the number could increase based on enrollment. This will allow for Safe Schools Officers to be present throughout the school day and to be stationed at designated entrances/exits during entrance/dismissal times.
  
  

2. What about transportation for RHS students?
The district is researching the possibility of offering shuttle buses for our “1.8 kids” – those students who do not live more than 2 miles from Reading High School, and, thus, are not eligible for transportation. This is not finalized, however, initial conversations have included the areas of Perkiomen Avenue, Franklin/Walnut streets, Front/Spring streets and Centre Avenue.

3. If my child is going to 9^th grade, do I have to register him/her at RHS?
No additional registration will be required.

Final recommendation
A final recommendation will be presented to the School Board of Directors in April 2018 or May 2018, and the school board will then vote on a final grade configuration.

The board previously voted in January 2018 to move 9^th grade to Reading High School, and that move will happen starting in the 2018-19 school year. The remainder of the grade configurations, no matter which is selected this spring, would happen in the 2019-2020 school year.

The school board voted to move ninth grade to Reading High School, beginning with the 2018-19 school year.  Reading Intermediate will have solely eighth grade for teh 2018-19 school year. Special orientations will be held for families in early April at RHS and RIHS. We are also planning parent update meetings. Check back for details.

Thank you to the parents, staff members and community members who attended the informational meeting on Thursday, January 11.

Watch the Jan. 11 meeting online
View a video of the meeting on our Reading School District YouTube channel.

View the Jan. 11 meeting PowerPoint
Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation used during the meeting.

FAQs and Feedback Survey
We have created a FAQ page, and we will add questions as we receive them from the community. We are also in the process of creating an online survey, in English and Spanish, to gather feedback. If you have questions, concerns or feedback, you can contact the Superintendent's Office at 484-258-7030.

Key points

• The district is focused on PreK-12 grade configuration because we need to address enrollment at all levels.
  
  
• This will be an open, transparent process. We encourage feedback. Additional community meetings will be held.
  
  
• The school board will vote on ninth grade moving to Reading High School, beginning with the 2018-19 school year, on Wednesday, Jan. 24.  Reading Intermediate will have solely eighth grade for teh 2018-19 school year. Special orientations will be held for families in early April at RHS and RIHS.
  
  
• The next school board meeting is Wednesday, January 24 at 7 p.m. at the Reading School District Administration Building. Meetings are open to the public. Note: You must sign up by 7 p.m. to participate in public comment.
  
  
• The district has a menu of options for RHS students, including the new Reading Virtual Academy (grades 6-12), Red Knight Accerlerated Academy with campuses at City Line and Glenside, Red Knight Learning Academy and Reading-Muhlenberg Career and Technology Center. With the implementation of these additional options, this means there will be students who attend classes at other locations, not the main RHS school building.
  
  
• In addition, the ninth grade students who do attend the main RHS building will be housed in separate areas of the school so they will not interact with 10th, 11th and 12th grade students. Lunches and gyms will also be separate. An exception might include an Advanced Placement class.
  
  
• No other grade configuration moves are planned for the 2018-19 school year. Administration is researching additional grade configuration options for the 2019-20 school year and beyond. Currently, there are two options being discussed: 
  
  Option A
  Elementary: Grades PreK-4 
  
  Middle: Grades 5-6
  
  Reading Intermediate: Grades 7-8
  
  Reading High School: Grades 9-12
  
  Option B
  Elementary: Grades PreK-4 
  
  Middle: Grades 5-8 and RIHS becomes a fifth neighborhood middle school

  Reading High School: Grades 9-12

Starting with the 2018-19 school year, ninth grade students will move to Reading High School, and we will implement several programs for both traditional and non-traditional students. This will include the new Reading Virtual Academy, which includes online and blended learning for students in grades 6-12, and the Red Knight Accelerated Academy-JCC and Red Knight Accelerated Academy-Glenside campuses for credit recovery students in grades 9-12.

While there are no other grade re-configurations planned for the 2018-19 school year, we are researching additional grade configuration options for the 2019-2020 school year and beyond.

Join us for a community informational meeting to discuss the school district’s feasibility study and K-12 grade configuration options. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 11 in the Reading High School Auditorium. All Reading School District parents are welcome to attend. 

During the meeting, we will discuss:

• Feasibility study and K-12 enrollment
  
  
• Current grade configurations and challenges
  
  
• Possible solutions and additional grade configuration options for the 2019-20 school year and beyond
  
  
• Educational programs and options available for high school students, including after-school activities and Reading-Muhlenberg Career and Technology Center
  
  
• RIHS and RHS special orientation programs in early April for students entering 8^th, 9^th and 10^th grade in the 2018-19 school year