Moving elementary 6th graders to middle school programs provides long-term benefits for students including:  

• More options for core instruction

• Increased elective / exploratory opportunities:

  • Band, orchestra, choir and PE are offered daily

  • CTE course offerings available

  • World language electives available

• Daily PE classes and participation in sports and activities

• Greater access to school counseling

• Increased daily instruction in Social Studies & Science

• Availability of higher level math (i.e. Algebra & Geometry)

Yes and no.

Yes: All 6th grade students at neighborhood elementary schools will move to middle schools. 

Please consider that this means current 5th grade students (2023-24 school year) will follow the Middle School start/release schedules beginning August 2024. For more information, please see: https://www.asdk12.org/schoolstarttimes. 

No: The following Alternative and Charter Schools will maintain their 6th grade classrooms:

• AK Choice (K-12)

• Alaska Native Cultural Charter School (Pre-K-8)

• Anchorage STrEaM Charter School (6-8)

• Aquarian Charter School (K-6)

• Eagle Academy Charter School (K-8)

• Family Partnership Correspondence School  (K-12)

• Frontier Charter School (K-12)

• Girdwood K-8

• Highland Academy Charter School (6-12)

• Northern Lights ABC K-8

• Polaris K-12

• Rilke Schule Charter School (K-8)

• Whaley School (K-12)

• Winterberry Charter School (K-8)

These three schools will go through a process within their school communities to determine whether the 6th grade programs will remain at their schools or move on to Middle Schools.  Please check with your school principal regarding the process for this decision.

Yes.  All Immersion and Highly GIfted Program students will attend 6th grade at the feeder middle school for these programs.

Students may enter the lottery to attend alternative and charter programs that include grades 6-8.  For a list of all ASD programs, please visit  https://www.asdk12.org/domain/1262.

Yes. However, some schools may have limited capacity in the lottery as we move 6th graders.

It is too early to determine if boundary changes will need to occur.  We hope to have answers regarding boundaries by November, 2023

Use Find Your School to see your zoned neighborhood middle school.  Note that these may change if/when any boundary changes are determined.

Students in middle school have seven classes; students have four core classes (language arts, math, science, and social studies), PE and/or Health, and two electives.  Schools offer a variety of music and art classes, world languages such as Spanish, and they offer Career and Technical Education classes, and other electives of interest.  Students have a thirty-minute lunch and many schools offer time for physical activity when students are done eating.  Some schools offer all seven classes each day, while others use a “block” schedule similar to high school so students have more time in each class, but only see that teacher three or four times each week.  Throughout the year, schools offer many after school sports and activities.

Yes.  Middle Schools offer opportunities for new students and families to tour the building, meet staff, and explore educational and extracurricular options prior to the start of the school year.  Middle School administrators and counselors will be reaching out to 5th and 6th grade families in February to begin announcing these opportunities.

Yes, all 6th graders have access to Middle School sports.  Please visit the ASD’s MS Sports webpage for more information: 

Because Elementary Schools will not have 6th grade classrooms starting next year, they will not need as many teachers.  As these 6th grade students move to middle schools, there will be a need for more teachers in those schools/programs.  The ASD is developing a process for ensuring there is adequate staffing in Middle Schools to support this increased student enrollment. 

Your student’s elementary teacher will use data such as grades, assessment scores, participation, and attendance to help decide which classes are appropriate for your student in middle school. This process will begin in February, 2024 and they can use data from the end of the year to help determine these classes as well. Student schedules will be available for families and students in the week before classes start in August, 2024. To learn more about the classes offered in our schools, please visit the Teaching and Learning website and explore each content area’s resources: https://www.asdk12.org/Page/5366

Your student’s middle school will provide many opportunities to tour the facility, learn the academic program, and ask questions. Middle school counselors will be visiting feeder elementary schools in January and February of 2024 to talk about middle school, the elective choices, extracurricular opportunities both during and after school, and to answer any other questions. Your student’s future middle school’s website is a great place to gather useful information. School information can be found by searching “Middle”  here: https://www.asdk12.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=1439

• There is information on ASD’s webpage about after school sports and activities here: https://www.asdk12.org/Page/5459

• To learn more about which sports and activities are offered in middle school, and to see current schedules, follow this link: https://www.asdk12.org/Page/19827