Davidson County Schools consolidates South Davidson middle and high schools in one new school

Davidson County has a new school, sort of.

The Davidson County Schools system has consolidated South Davidson Middle School and South Davidson High School into one school that will serve sixth through twelfth grades beginning this year.

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According to Dr. Emily Lipe, superintendent of Davidson County Schools, the district has been discussing merging the schools for a couple of years but was delayed by the pandemic. She said the decision was to bring greater organization and educational possibilities, as well as to increase Title I funding for the school.

“Both South Davidson middle and high school are the smallest schools in the district. By creating one 6 through 12 school, we will have greater efficiency and create greater opportunities for students,” said Lipe.

For all intents and purposes, students will not see many physical changes. Sixth, seventh and eighth graders will continue to report to the middle school building and ninth through twelfth graders will still have classes at the high school building. The two schools, which are in Denton, are on the same campus connected by a shared cafeteria and gymnasium.

The biggest change is the name change to South Davidson Middle and High School and that the school will have one administrative team.

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There will still be teachers assigned on the 6 to 8  grade and the 9 to 12 grade levels, but the consolidation will allow certain certified teachers to teach on both the middle and high school levels. For example, an art or Spanish teacher can teach at both grade levels.

Chris Adams, who most recently served as the assistant principal at East Davidson High School, has been named the principal of South Davidson Middle and High School. He said he is excited and eager to begin this new phase at South Davidson.

“Many parts of the school will remain the same, the mascots, the uniforms, etc. The tradition of the South Davidson culture won't change,” said Adams.

He said one of the biggest advantages of combining the two schools is that the students will have greater academic opportunities through scheduling and access to teachers.

“We will have the opportunity to be flexible with our schedules with teachers at both levels. It provides additional opportunities for students at an earlier age and an easier transition as they move into high school,” said Adams.

He said another change is the availability of sixth through eighth graders to take advanced courses on a block schedule by semesters, which means a student can take a 90-minute class, such as Math 1, the first half of the school year and a different course the second half of the year.

In the traditional middle school schedule, students take 45-minute classes the entire year.

Lipe said by consolidating the two schools into one, the new school will be eligible for increased Title I funding. Title I is federal money that supplements state and local education funding for low-income students and is based on the number of students enrolled at an individual school.

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According to the National Center for Educational Statistics website, South Davidson High school had 300 students in the 2020-2021 school year. South Davidson Middle School had 281 students. By combining the two schools, the enrollment numbers will be much higher, qualifying it for more Title I funding.

With the increase in funding, the school will be able to provide more classes. Adams said there is even a discussion of creating a welding program at the school in partnership with Davidson-Davie Community College in the near future.

“There are so many advantages and opportunities for students,” said Lipe. “It creates a cohesive learning approach; it is more efficient. Teachers and staff will have an opportunity to know a student as a sixth grader and could continue until they graduate...I am so excited about the opportunities that this is going to create for our students and the community.”

Adams said he expects there will be some tweaks and adjustments through the school year, but in the big picture the consolidation of the schools will be a positive experience for the community.

“I couldn’t be happier with my start here,” said Adams. “The staff, the teachers and central office have been wonderful and supportive. There is a lot of pride and positive energy. We are dedicated to student achievement and success at South Davidson Middle and High School,” said Adams.

General news reporter Sharon Myers can be reached at sharon.myers@the-dispatch.com. Follow her on Twitter @LexDispatchSM.

This article originally appeared on The Dispatch: South Davidson middle and high schools consolidated into one new school