1 + 1 = 1?

The American flag is shown at half-staff on the last day of school at Eighth Street Elementary School in Ocala, Fla. on Thursday, May 26, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

Marion County school officials are considering turning two historic facilities into one campus where students could attend from kindergarten through eighth grade.

At issue is a proposal to combine Eighth Street Elementary, established in 1914 and recognized as Florida’s oldest continuously operating elementary school, and Oceola Middle School, established in 1925. The two schools share a campus just off Tuscawilla Avenue in Ocala’s historic district, but they are essentially two separate institutions.

This merger would result in one principal, one combined student body ranging from VPK-Eighth grade, combined busing, and students would share start and dismissal times. This coincides with the state’s requirement that middle schools have later start times.

The merging of the schools will be discussed on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the combined school advisory meeting at Osceola’s auditorium.

Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) published via the website landing page a statement of FAQs related to the school merger, where it stated that “a combination school is an opportunity to provide continuity of education and increased opportunities for acceleration.”

MCPS Director of Public Relations Kevin Christian said in an email to the “Gazette” that the district is “considering the idea of combining both schools into a single learning campus. It’s only being discussed at this point and no decision has been made. We are gathering input from the various stakeholders involved including administration, staff members, parents and families.”

Christian added, “We have another K-8 combined campus [Fort McCoy School] that provides continuous learning without interruption or change of campus.”

At the Feb. 6 Marion County School Board Work Session, Melissa Kinard, Marion County Schools Area Superintendent, told the school board that her team is working with Eighth Street Elementary and Osceola Middle school staff and school community to “explore the opportunity of the possibility of the schools combining to become a unified k-8 school for the 2024-2025 school year.

“A closer-knit community is formed within a K-8 school because there are stronger teacher-student relationships that would develop over an extended period of time,” Kinard added during the meeting.

“As fifth-grade students transition to sixth-grade, a K-8 school would offer a smoother transition for the learners as they would have had multiple interactions and experiences with the middle school class schedule.”

First-year Eight Street Elementary teacher Kailey Lentsch attended both schools as a student, and now her children attend the school. She said she is opposed to the merger and through text messages expressed her disapproval.

“Eighth Street is a school with a rich history, and traditions that run generations deep,” Lentsch said. “It would be heartbreaking to see those traditions go away, or the name and mascot of either school change.”

Lentsch shared a letter she sent to the school board where she wrote that “making Eighth Street and Osceola a VPK-8 so they can have the same start time is a very selfish decision that puts parents’ convenience over what’s best for their children.”

During the board work session, Kinard said her team created a timeline that allows them to gather and gain stakeholder input as they continue to explore this K-8 option.

On Friday, a survey link will be sent to school families asking for their input into this matter. Surveys will close on Feb. 26 and Kinard’s team will review the data to determine if most stakeholders would want to move forward with the merger.