MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — The Martin County School District is considering a shift toward K–8 schools as part of a broader academic restructuring effort aimed at reducing student transitions and keeping families enrolled in district schools.
District staff presented the concept during a school board workshop on Tuesday, Jan. 6, outlining research and local data that suggest K–8 schools can improve student achievement, attendance, and family satisfaction compared with the traditional elementary-to-middle school model.
Under the proposal, some existing elementary schools could be converted into K–8 campuses, allowing students to remain at the same school from kindergarten through eighth grade. District leaders said the move is intended to address what they described as “transition shock,” referring to the academic and social challenges students often face when moving from fifth grade to a separate middle school campus…