District will not hold back this year's 6th grade

There will be no students held back this year in the Boundary County Middle School sixth grade class.

This information  was in a fourth quarter  letter sent home a week ago to  parents of sixth grade students at BCMS.

Principal Richard Behrens said the letter was sent to set the record straight on what students had been hearing around school. 

The fact is there will be one less teacher for the sixth grade next year.  Ms. Kelly Miller is a math teacher who taught two periods at the school and is part of the school district budget cuts.  Therefore class sizes will be larger with 120 sixth grade students coming into BCMS in September and passing everyone this year is essential for space.

So far there have been no issues with students not doing their work becuase they know they will pass anyway, said Behrens.

In the letter it was explained to students and parents that students who refused to do their school work would not be tolerated, and consequences are in place should the issue arise. One of the punishments is lunch time detention and after two of those the student will receive in school suspension.

This year was the first year that a state mandated credit system just like the high school has been in place for seventh and eighth graders.  For seventh and eighth  graders failure to pass more than 11 out of 14 credits will result in retention at their current grade level.

Now that this policy is in place Behrens and teachers have explained to the sixth grade students moving up how important it is to develop good habits now.

“The teachers keep pushing the students to do the best they can and they seem to be doing it just fine,” said Behrens.

Beherens said if parents are concerned with their child’s progress and grades in the current sixth grade class and they request a child be held back, the school would honor their request.

“We explained to the students this does not mean they should not be working hard,” said Behrens.  “They are responding very well.”