FAIRMOUNT — This year's fifth graders will not return to Park Elementary School next school year.
Instead, incoming sixth graders, along with their teachers, will move to Madison-Grant Jr./Sr. High School, starting the fall 2026 semester. The school board approved the change during its Dec. 9 meeting.
According to Superintendent Steve Vore, bringing sixth graders to the high school building has been on the table for more than a decade, ever since he stepped into his current role 13 years ago.
Board member Bruce Stanley said he remembers discussing this topic nearly 15 years ago with previous school board members.
However, the board has never voted on this change in past years because of concerns over how to use the space at the junior high and high school building, something that is no longer an issue for the corporation.
District CFO Benn Mann told board members the school system recently formed a committee of teachers, staff and administrators from both the high school and from Park Elementary. Together, they formed a plan for transitioning sixth graders to the high school building.
"Being the father of a current fifth grader, I understand the importance of us being able to create that middle school feel for our sixth, seventh and eighth graders," Mann said. "As we really dug in and we really looked at this, we had the blueprint up on the wall, the floor plan up on the wall, and we sat here and built out a master schedule for the junior/senior high, including our three current sixth grade teachers that would come out. We positioned teachers in locations that would create a middle school feel on the north end, and then more of the high school feel on the south end."
Madison-Grant High School first welcomed seventh and eighth graders into its space nearly 10 years ago, Mann said.
"In 2016, when I came to Madison-Grant, that was the first year we became a 7-12 building, and at that time, the double doors remained closed," he added. "Seventh and eighth graders stayed on this side. Nine through 12 stayed on that side."
But in recent years, the school district has experienced a decline in annual enrollment, sparking changes in how and where students attend classes in the high school building.
"Now, we can't support just a middle school staff and just a high school staff, so we had to slowly open up the doors and allow students to travel back and forth," Mann explained. "Early on, we were asking teachers to travel back and forth between the classrooms, and that just wasn't working well. We got to the point where now we operate as a 7-12 building. Nobody knows the difference. Life's good."
Superintendent Vore said the school system held meetings with parents of fifth graders and explained what would happen with the potential changes prior to bringing the matter before the school board.
"It was not attended at a high rate," Vore said. "But we got the feeling that we put enough notice out there, enough information already, that maybe some parents felt comfortable already."
The motion to move sixth graders to Madison-Grant passed by a 6-0 vote. All members attended the Dec. 9 meeting except for Lisa Martin.
Park Elementary receives Unified Champion School banner
The meeting board room was filled with Park Elementary students who have participated in Unified Athletics, along with their parents and teachers.
The school board celebrated the team's recent achievement of becoming a National Unified Champion School.
Senior Director of Unified Champion Schools Michael Hasch presented Park students and staff with a special banner on of Special Olympics Indiana and Special Olympics North America.
According to Hasch, 665 schools participated in unified athletics in 2024. Six schools applied to receive the banner, and five schools were selected as recipients.
"Park Elementary is one of five Indiana schools this year, the second elementary in the past 10 years that has earned this national banner by achieving 10 components comprised of whole school engagement, inclusive student leadership and unified sports," Hasch said. "They have earned what we call the National Banner, and it is renewable every four years. There are only 28 schools in the state of Indiana who have earned this banner."
Board President Amanda Kelich praised the kids and teachers for a job well done and for receiving a commemorative banner.
"That is incredible, guys. That is absolutely incredible," she said. "You should all be proud of yourselves. Teachers, thank you so much. We know a lot of this is something you're invested in as much as these students. So, thank you."
Next meeting and livestream information
The next public school board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026 in the conference room at the high school, 11700 E. 00 W., Fairmount.
The board will conduct its executive session following the public meeting.
The school board now livestreams its public board meetings. These can be viewed on the corporation's YouTube channel by visiting https://www.youtube.com/@MadGrantUSCBoard.