Transition Plan

General Questions

Will the school have one name, mascot, and alma mater?
Yes, details are being decided in the Empower Teams and ultimately need board approval prior to any changes.

Will events like dances, rallies, and whole-school meetings be shared?
Each program will continue to host typical events like school dances, lunchtime events, and rallies. There may also be special events at each campus that are shared events, but these will be carefully planned.

Will we adopt standard policies (e.g., gum, cell phones, dress code)?
Our Empower Teams will provide input on standard policies.

Before school starts, can we hold bonding events (picnics, shirts, bowling)?
Yes, this is a great way to build staff culture and collaboration.

Will Slater's historical items (plaques, trophies, photos) be preserved and displayed?
Our Empower Teams are working to honor the history and traditions of Herbert Slater Middle School while planning for Slater students to join the campus of Montgomery High School later this year. For the latest updates on these efforts, please visit our Transition Plan Updates tab above.

Will the school handbook be updated to reflect the merged campus?
Yes.

Will translators be available to support both student populations?
Yes.

Can we host a 7-12 orientation and bonding program like Viking Lessons?
Yes, Empower Teams are designing these opportunities.

Educational Services

How much influence will this committee have on the decisions that are made versus being a sounding board for the decisions that will be made by other parties?
The Empower Teams are intended to provide as much decision-making ability to the sites as possible during the transition process. As some items must be negotiated, it would be a combination of both. Decisions that cannot be made by any other body will be made by Cabinet.

Is the intention of the committee to create influencers to implement decisions and build buy-in?
School transformation theory always leans on the early adopters to lead the change.

Will we be a single combined school or separate schools on the same site?
For the first year, in Aeries, the schools will be separate, due to initial scheduling and reporting needs. After the first year, the schools are expected to be fully merged. The administration and support services are combined.

Where will the middle school students physically be placed since this requires construction decisions?
Each school transitioning for 25-26 has the capacity to house the middle school students in an individual area or wing of the campus without additional construction needs in the first year. The ability to do so will mean adjustment to current room assignments, and there may be some options about how best to place the middle school program that needs discussion.

How were the Empower Teams created?
Principals identified Empower teams at their school sites, in collaboration with staff.

What is the update on middle school sports?
Middle school sports will continue without disruption. The middle schools will be able to use their sporting facilities for after-school sports during the 2025-2026 school year. Dr. Castro met with the middle school athletic directors and the Athletic Director, Ryan Thompson. The athletic director from Slater stated the only need to maintain regular and uninterrupted functionality for athletics would be access to facilities at Slater, and to be considerate of sports facilities when and if the site were to be used for other permits. The SRMS athletic director requested access to the site and daily transportation, due to the unique traffic conditions between SRMS and SRHS. Both requests were granted by Cabinet. Assoc Superintendent Lisa August will follow up with the specifics with respect to the transportation.

How will students be assigned to classrooms at their new school?
Staff from the sites that are closing will be working with the sites that students will be attending to balance classes, ensuring students have familiar faces in their new classrooms at their new school.

How and when will library materials be collected?
Sites that are moving will work with their administrators to determine the timeline for collecting materials that are usually collected during the last month of school.

What are the requirements for the Brook Hill and Albert Biella libraries for the end of the year?
The libraries should continue the process of checking back in materials as they do yearly. At this time we will not be moving the elementary libraries to a new location. We will begin that process in the fall of the 2025-2026 school year.

Will our Library Tech II collect grade-level curriculum?
Yes, our Library Tech II's are beginning to collect curriculum that has been taught, inventorying it, boxing and labeling accordingly. This will be an ongoing process. Boxes are being labeled by grade level, materials, and quantities.

Do we keep our CCD grade-level materials for next year? Will there be an option to trade if needed for different grade levels?
You will not be keeping your CCD materials. They will be collected and boxed. If you are teaching the same grade level at your new site, we will work on providing you your current teacher manual and materials. Curriculum will be moved to the sites for staff.

When will we find out if all classrooms will get new furniture? This will inform us about what furniture we need to bring with us, if any.
Almost every classroom has student and teacher furniture. New furniture will be coming soon as part of classroom modernizations over the next couple of years.

Will 7-12 teachers be assigned mixed-grade classed or continue with separate rosters?
We will continue to have separate middle and high school classes with separate rosters.

Will staff with 7-12 credentials teach both middle and high school students?
That depends on bell schedules. Other than electives that have always been split, such as music in some cases. For the most part, Junior High teachers will teach 7-8 and Senior High teachers will teach 9-12.

Will middle schoolers have access to high school electives or advanced courses? Will middle schoolers earn high school credit for high school-level courses? How will art, culinary, CTE, and industrial tech electives be shared across grades? Will 8th graders in advanced math still be taught by middle school or high school teachers?
Junior High teachers will teach 7-8 students and Senior High teachers will teach 9-12 students. How Junior High students earn credits has not changed.

When will we know who is sharing classrooms?
We are currently working on building master schedules at each site. Once we have identified the courses being taught and staffing, we can assign classroom spaces. We will be working on a preliminary assignment of classrooms to staff.

Will co-teaching happen, and how will that be structured?
Co-teaching will continue to happen.

Will SPED teachers have 7-12 caseloads or will they be separated by grase levels?
We will endeavor to have SPED teacher caseloads separated by grade level. SPED teachers in Program classes such as ESN, CEP, RISE, etc. may have Middle School or High School, based upon the students in their class. We do not expect SPED teachers to have mixed Middle School and High School caseloads.

Will 7-8 grade RSP teachers receive training/support for high school responsibilities?
At this time we do not anticipate middle school teachers to take on senior high responsibilities.

Will teachers still have prep time in their classrooms?
This is dependent on classroom space and assignments. If this is not possible, we will work on finding dedicated prep/workspaces.

How will lab science rooms be allocated?
Senior High Principals are working on room assignments.

Will 7-8 and 9-12 share the same bell schedule?
No, there will be separate bell schedules, staggering class start and end times, as well as lunch and break.

Will we keep the same block schedule or moce to a 6-period day?
Bell schedules are being discussed in the Empower Team meetings and the decision making process will follow the Common Bargaining Agreement.

Will middle school students be able to join existing clubs?
Not necessarily in the first year of the transition. Bell schedules for lunch and end of day times will be different and would make scheduling this difficult. With purposeful planning, there could be opportunities for cross grade level activities.

Will middle schoolers be eligible for AVID? Will AVID remain a 4-year program?
AVID opportunities will continue to be offered in SRCS. A cohesive and collabortative expansion of the program is planned.

How will Counseling support graduation requirements like FAFSA completion?
This will remain as it has been for high school graduation support.

Will we continue leadership programs, and will ASB be separate or shared?
They will remain separate for the first year of transition. Given the differing bell schedules, purposeful planning could allow for cross grade level ASB activities.

Special Services

General education students know their new school of attendance. When will specialty programs like RISE and ESN know where they are placed?
Most parents have been notified. In a few cases, the sites were determined recently and we are in the process of notifying parents.

Where will ESN classes be housed, and will bathrooms be accessible to them?
ESN classes are to be housed on various sites throughout the district, as we do now. Classes will be situated with appropriate accessibility to bathrooms, as determined by grade level and student needs.

Is there space for confidential IEP meetings and testing rooms?
We expect to have dedicated space for IEP meetins and assessments, and we are working closely with sites to ensure this.

Business Services

Will student meal service be separated by age range groups?
Yes, the bell schedule is being planned in collaboration with the site teacher and the Empower Team at school sites. An emphasis will be placed on separating age range groups. The Empower Team is committed to meeting the needs of students at secondary campuses. Adequate time for eating is a focus for scheduling efforts.

Will 7-8 grade students receive a different menu from 9-12 students?
The 7-12 menus are almost the same. The only difference will be related to federal nutrition standards of calories and other nutrition standards. The difference between the two groups is approximately 50 calories. As such, there will be slightly different menus between the two age groups.

Will we only be given standard-size moving boxes? We have many odd-sized items that won't fit in a small moving box.
Medium-sized moving boxes will be provided. We can sure larger boxes will be available for those potential odd-sized items. Please request larger boxes from the school office as needed. Please reserve larger boxes for items that will not fit in the medium-sized boxes. Heavy boxes pose a higher risk of injury for staff performing the move.

How will items like sand tables, etc. be moved?
SRCS Warehouse and M&O staff will move items. If you teach the same grade at a new site, please tag it with your name and the site you will be moving to. This will help ensure it gets to you. Labels and specific instructions will be provided as a part of the moving process.

After packing our room, what happens next? Will everything be moved to a central place and then moved to a central place before being moved again to a our new site, or will everything stay in our room until our new location is confirmed and then moved?
Everything will stay on-site until we have identified the room to move the items to. A moving company or appropriate district staff will move all boxes and furnishings.

What date do we need to be packed up by? When do keys need to be returned?
This, along with other issues pertaining to the closure/consolidation of schools, is currently being negotiated with SRCS and SRTA. Updates will be provided periodically.

Will it be the responsibility of the teachers to load all of the boxes onto the moving truck?
The District will provide personnel to move all District materials. Teachers and staff will be responsible for personal items.

Will Slater's copy machines be moved to the new site?
The Business Services team will be evaluating the need to shift copiers around and/or remove copiers throughout the District during the transition/consolidation phase. The increase in students at welcoming high schools warrants additional consideration. As such, additional copiers may be needed for the welcoming senior high school campuses. Additional copiers will be relocated as needed.

Will the District provide packing suppies (boxes, trash cans)?
Yes, boxes and moving supplies will be delivered to schools the week of April 21st, 2025 for teacher moves and school consolidation. Additional dumpsters will be delivered to school sites significantly impacted by school consolidation the week of April 14th, 2025.

How will custodial services be scaled to meet increased needs?
Custodial services are evaluated routinely, and staffing is allocated based on student enrollment ratios and the estimated workloads of custodians. Custodial support will be adjusted as needed.

When will movement logistics (summer hours, custodial support) be finalized?
The timeline for moving items from closing schools to welcoming schools depends on completing negotiations, staff room assignments, and school site Empower Team decisions. Updates will be provided regularly.

What happens to Slater's ASB accounts and grant funds?
ASB and grant funds will follow students to their new school sites. ASB and grant fund accounts will be separated between 7-8 and 9-12 grades.

Wellness and Engagement

Can Counselors also have time for warm hand-off meetings?
Yes, counseling staff will have time to meet with each other to support students.

Will Tier 1 behavioral systems (like the PRIDE page and detention) remain?
The Empower Teams will work collaboratively to continue middle school ceremonies and traditions.

Human Resources

Can you explain why principals and other staff members have been reassigned, laid off, or informed they will no longer continue to serve in their current roles at their current sites?
Staffing decisions are made based on a variety of factors. Staff (classified and certificated) are laid off or reassigned based on seniority as outlined in their respective collective bargaining agreements. Decisions regarding administrative changes are personnel matter and are confidential. All of our decisions are made in the best interests of the students.

Will laid-off teachers have the 18 hours to pack, or is that just for staff that are transferred?
This, along with other issue pertaining to the closer/consolidation of schools, is currently being negotiated with SRCS and SRTA. Updates will be provided periodically.

The "Elementary ReDesign & Engage" section will serve as a hub for information related to the redesign of elementary programs for the 2025-2026 school year. It will provide information about efforts to design elementary programs that support all students and create learning environments where everyone can thrive. Our goal is to ensure families, students, and staff are well-informed throughout the process. The page will be updated regularly, and visitors are encouraged to check back often for the latest developments.

What We Are Working on Now:
We are scheduling classroom exchanges or buddy programs with current students. We are also organizing visits to new schools to help familiarize students with their new learning environments. During these visits, students and staff will hold community building activities to ease potential anxiety students may be experiencing.

Welcoming new families and students to our campuses is important. Sites are planning events for students and families, including campus tours, meet-and-greets with teachers, and question-and-answer sessions. Details will be shared once the location, date, and time are finalized.

We will provide a welcome packet with school information, schedules, and key contacts to families. More information will be shared about this soon.

We are holding joint English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) meetings for families to learn about their new schools of attendance, and we will have a special time for staff to visit their new sites to become familiar with those schools.This committee advises school principals and staff on programs and services for English language learners.

Albert Biella and Brook Hill Elementary Schools are planning a field trip to the schools students will attend next year. They have planned field trips to the two schools their current students will be attending next year. Brook Hill students will be going to Proctor Terrace on May 20 and Luther Burbank on May 23. Albert Biella students will visit James Monroe the week of April 14-18, and Helen Lehman the weekMay 5-9.

We held a Listening Session with the staff at Brook Hill Elementary School on April 1 and the staff of Albert Biella Elementary School on April 2.

Below is a list of events our district is planning for our elementary students, staff, and families:
Luther Burbank Elementary School will host a welcome event for Brook Hill Elementary School families on April 10. The school will also host a Science Night at this event beginning with refreshments at 5 p.m.

The "Secondary ReDesign & Engage" section will serve as a hub for information related to the future of our middle and high schools as we consolidate programs and merge two middle schools with two high schools for the 2025-2026 school year. It will provide information about efforts to design secondary programs that support all students and create learning environments where everyone can thrive. Our goal is to ensure families, students, and staff are well-informed throughout the process. The page will be updated regularly, and visitors are encouraged to check back often for the latest developments.

What We Are Working on Now:
The Santa Rosa Middle and Santa Rosa High School Secondary Empower Team, will hold their next meeting on April 16.

Below is a list of events our district is planning for our secondary students, staff, and families:
Panther Cub Night on April 17 at Santa Rosa High School. The focus of this event is to welcome families and host an ELAC and School Site Council meet and greet.

Joint ELAC meeting on April 24 at Montgomery High School

Meeting Notes

Empower Meeting: Santa Rosa Middle and High Schools - 3/10/25

Listening Session: Herbert Slater Middle School - 3/11/25

Listening Session: Santa Rosa Middle School - 04/01/25

Teams and Structure

Design Team
The Design Team provides strategic oversight and coordination, ensuring that all aspects of the transition align with district decisions and labor agreements. The team includes:
• Superintendent
• Department Representatives (One from each: Communications, Educational Services, Special Services, Business Services, Wellness & Engagement, and Human Resources)
• SRTA Representatives
• CSEA Representatives

Implementation Team
The Implementation Team is responsible for carrying out transition initiatives, ensuring departmental coordination, and problem-solving challenges. It includes multiple leads from each division/department and representatives from SRTA and CSEA. The team meetings are fluid and the various directors update the group as to what is being done and this information is then taken by the design team members for the weekly updates shared with the community.

Empower Team
Empower Teams are site level groups representing equal staffing ratios from both middle and high school to support and guide the process of becoming a Junior-Senior High School. The goal of the Empower Team meetings is to share about the structures of the schools, the types of events and processes that are essential to the essence of the schools, to engage in conversations centered on the climate and culture that defines each campus that will serve to build on, and discuss SPSA goals to find commonalities and areas for vertical goals. Empower Teams are intended to provide as much decision-making ability to the sites as possible during the transition process, exceptions include items that are subject to negotiation. Decisions that cannot be made by any other body will be made by Cabinet and/or the Board of Trustees.