Presentation Outlines Possible Intermediate Level Restructuring

Possible restructuring changes to the instructional and co-curricular programs at Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School and Woodhull Intermediate School were shared during a presentation at last week’s Huntington School Board meeting.

Flower Hill Primary School and Washington Primary School students would be zoned to attend Jack Abrams School. Those students residing in the Southdown Primary School and Jefferson Primary School attendance zones would attend Woodhull School. Special circumstances for students with disabilities may apply based on student needs and programs.

The dual language program would be offered in both buildings as would enrichment activities for all third grade primary students and all fourth graders. All fifth and sixth graders would be provided weekly with the Learners Who Lead and Innovation Lab programs.

Officials said the rationale for the possible changes includes:

• Feedback provided by community members during the “thought exchange” segment of the process to update the district’s strategic plan.

• An effort to provide similar opportunity and access for students to experience all intermediate programming in both buildings.

• The ability to provide a similar curriculum to all students entering J. Taylor Finley Middle School.

• Decrease in the stress that accompanies the school selection process for third grade students and their families.

• Balanced enrollment numbers in both intermediate buildings.

• Savings on transportation.

Community members can provide feedback about the plan by clicking on the link to the Google Form, completing and submitting it.

Link to Google Form:  https://forms.gle/AhunHdTNNkXtfTfGA (This community survey will close on June 12)

A community meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 17 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. in the Jack Abrams School auditorium.

If the Huntington School Board approves the changes, the new plan would be implemented for the 2026/27 school years.

Siblings will be grandfathered in at the current intermediate building upon request to the “greatest extent” possible.

Last week’s public presentation provided an instructional overview of the plan, including:

FIRST LEGO League

• Every student in sixth grade will participate in the FIRST LEGO League instruction in class.

• Criteria will be utilized (as it is currently) to identify one team of 10 sixth graders in each intermediate building to participate in the FIRST LEGO League Competition (led by the Innovation Lab teacher).

SEARCH Program

• This program will be expanded to all third and fourth grade students in the 2026/27 school year.

• The current model will be replaced with the Learners who Lead Program and Innovation Lab Enrichment Programs for fifth and sixth grade.

Math Olympiads

• This program will be added as a club at both intermediate schools.

Science

• Program alignment will take place so that both intermediate schools offer the same science curriculum.

World Languages and FLEX Program Adjustments

• FLEX instruction will not take place in grade five during the 2025/26 school year.

• World languages (French/Italian/Spanish) provided to sixth graders will move the seventh grade at the close of the 2025/26 school year.

Dual Language Adjustments

• The dual language program will expand to sixth grade in the 2026/27 school year (current Woodhull fourth graders only. Allowing them to receive two core content classes in social studies and science taught in Spanish. This continuation supports students in maintaining and strengthening their bilingual skills through rigorous, grade level academic content. .

• The FLACS A exam will be administered to all dual language students at the end of seventh grade.

• The FLACS B exam will be administered to all dual language students at the end of eighth grade.

• Dual language students entering ninth grade will be enrolled in the Spanish IV Honors course.

Intermediate Music Adjustments

• Exploration of a different model in order to continue to provide an excellent music education for all intermediate students. The early morning rehearsal structure contributes to attrition in participation and creates transportation stressors.

Efforts will be made to explore options to:

• Align the programs at Jack Abrams and Woodhull, while creating separate performance groups at each building.

• Identify space and staffing for each program in each building.

• Include band, orchestra and chorus instruction during the school day.

Budget Considerations

• Provide a budget and materials for the LEAD program at Jack Abrams and for the Innovation Lab program at Woodhull.

• Various curriculum alignment projects.

• Potential savings on early morning transportation and efficiencies due to school/home proximity.

• Additional club stipends for FIRST LEGO League at Woodhull and Math Olympiads at Jack Abrams and Woodhull.

• The district might need to hire an additional fourth grade dual language teacher as Jack Abrams School in the 2026/27 school year and in the two subsequent years to continue the program through sixth grade.

• The district might need to hire one certified bilingual teacher at Woodhull to support the expansion of dual language into sixth grade during the 2026/27 school year. This will replace the current world language teachers that work at Woodhull.

Curriculum Alignment Needed

• Learners Who Lead Program and Innovation Lab for fifth and sixth graders.

• Enrichment for third and fourth graders.

• Science for fourth and fifth graders.

The next steps and timeline associated with the possible restructuring includes the following:

• June 2025: Gather community feedback via the Google Form.

• June 17, 2025: Community meeting at Jack Abrams School auditorium.

• Summer 2025: Review feedback and potentially adopt plan with adjustments.

• Fall 2025: Start curriculum alignment and planning.

• Fall 2026: Potential plan implementation.