Beginning with Brunner Elementary School in the 2026-2027 school year, the SPF school district is beginning to move fifth grade from middle school to elementary school.

The reason for this shift is to accommodate the rapidly increasing number of students in the district. This years’ fourth grade class is the largest it has been in the last 20 years, according to the district website.

As a result, Terrill Middle School and Nettingham Middle School do not have the capacity to accommodate the increase in students. Nearly 64 more students than the average class size of 220 are expected in the incoming fifth grade class at Nettingham.

“[It’s the district’s] first major jump in 20 years,” school board business director Christopher Jones said.

Brunner Elementary School’s fourth grade class will stay at Brunner for the 2026-2027 school year.

“The long-term plan will be to sequentially evaluate our ability to keep fifth-grade students in their elementary schools across the district,” Superintendent Dr. Joan Mast said.

Eventually, all elementary schools in the district will include fifth grade, while the two middle schools will house grades six through eight.

The La Grande Elementary School project is also part of the process of expanding learning spaces in coming years. Construction is set to begin in late 2025 and will finish sometime in fall, 2027.

These changes are being made to ensure the academic success and overall well-being of all students in the district.

”This phased approach ensures that all students continue to learn in safe and appropriate environments,” Mast said.

More information will be available at the Community Information Session on Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Terrill Middle School Auditorium. SPF community members are also open to ask any questions about these upcoming changes.