Wider age range in schools could become a trend

(Harrisburg) -- With a new school year under way, students in one midstate district are settling in with a wider age range of pupils in their buildings.

The York City School District switched to a Kindergarten-through-eighth grade model in its six elementary schools because it was forced to close its middle schools to save money.

State Education Secretary Ron Tomalis says such cost-saving measures could become a trend in the commonwealth as district budgets are squeezed. "I don't think that would be the optimum situation to be in when you have that range of kids," Tomalis says. "I also don't think that when you have thousands and thousands of kids in a high school, it's not the optimum situation. The question is, how do you make it work? And we're struggling to make it work."

Speaking on witf's Radio Smart Talk, Tomalis says York's administrators had to make a "tough decision." The school district has made efforts to group students by age inside the elementary schools, like keeping them on separate floors.