Classes Will Move To Maximize Space | Video

Kristin Clouston | 1/8/2013

In the past two weeks, Bismarck schools have added 25 new students, enough to fill an entire classroom. The school district is building three more schools but is going to have make some short term changes until they`re ready.

The district wants to temporarily move students who attend Northridge, but who will eventually go to the northwest Washington school, into the Hughes building. Their new school will be ready in the fall of 2014.

Superintendent Tamara Uselman explained, "If I didn`t do anything, Northridge would be at 150 percent capacity next year. They would have 740 or more children. Nobody thinks that is academically sound. Nobody thinks that`s safe."

The plan would move South Central students from Hughes to Riverside and Riverside students to a southside elementary.

Simle Middle School students who will attend the new high school will go to classes at the Career Academy next year and at both the Career Academy and the Hughes Administration Building the year after that. The new high school will open in the fall of 2015.

The superintendent says keeping the students together will help them build an identity as a school. "What some folks don`t know is the students at Simle, who would be at the Career Academy, have already attended there. Many of them have had at least one experience at the Career Academy. We know it works, we know it`s a good space and we know we can maximize its use."

The majority of Lincoln students will move with their teachers when their new school opens next winter. Fifth graders will stay at their existing schools.

Parents will have an opportunity to ask questions and express their concerns with school board members Thursday night. There will be a public boundary forum at 6:30 in the Wachter cafetorium.

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