The Natomas Unified School District board of trustees late last night made several landmark decisions about the future of area middle school students’ education.- The board approved expanding NP3 from a 9-12 to include 6-8, thus creating a 6-12 charter school.
- The Board approved opening H. Allen Hight Middle School by moving next year all existing students from Natomas Middle School to Creekside campus as a full middle school. According to Trustee Lisa Kaplan, this decision saves the district start-up costs associated with opening a brand new middle school and ordering all new text books and supplies.
- The Board approved moving NP3 over to the Natomas Middle School campus to share with Westlake Charter School. This decision saved the District approximately $1.2 million dollars its first year and approximately $700,000 thereafter by not renting property in the community to house NP3. NP3 middle will open next year with 150 – 6th graders / 50 – 7th graders and 50 – 8th graders, thereby easing overcrowding at both middle schools.
- The Board gave direction to the district to work with the middle school design team to create partnership academies at each middle school (the intent is to create 2 small schools within each middle school with approximately 450 kids at each school).
- The Board approved approximately $ 6million dollars in cuts (including savings by moving NP3 to NMS campus / increasing class size by 1 student district wide approx $1 million – the other cuts include deferring retirement costs / moving categorical money around with the flexibility given to us in the State budget and a host of other cuts that none of the board really like making).
These cuts were needed because the State already reduced our budget by 15% this year and is cutting the District funding by 20% next year.
Could someone please explain what “NP3” means?
Thanks,
New to Natomas
Natomas Middle School is closing?
My daugther goes there and we live in Westlake – walking distance. Next year, I will have to drive her miles away, on the other side of the freeway? Ridiculous!
NP3 is a charter school that stands for Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep. If you go to the Natomas school district website, I’m sure it will give you more information about the school.
If you still want to go to the Natomas Middle School location, there will still be a middle school there. (Just a differnet name and you will have to apply, etc) I’ve heard they are currently taking applications and if they get more than the slated amount, it will go to a lottery.
Hope this helps!
Ann
Where is Creekside Campus? Is that a school that hasn’t opened yet?
Natomas Pacific Pathways Charter.
Grades 9-12 charter school that is focused on Law.
NP3 is (from the Scool’s website): University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law has partnered with Natomas Unified School District to provide students with a unique educational experience. Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep (NP3) was created to offer students an enhanced educational experience including a four-year law curriculum exploring the foundations of our legal system, criminal law, Constitutional law, and economics and civil law in addition to a college prep liberal arts curriculum. The Natomas Unified School Board unanimously approved the NP3 charter.
NP3 invites and welcomes all students to come and discover the law through specialized courses, guest speakers, mentoring, internships, and distinctive excursions.
The H. Allen Hight Learning Center is located in Creekside at the intersection of East Commerce and North Park.
The “center” is comprised of two schools — an elementary school and a middle school. The elementary school opened in fall 2008, but the middle school has been sitting empty.
The NUSD trustees’ decision would relocated the Natomas Middle School students to the Hight campus.
Great work. Thanks for the good update. Ive been wondering about H. Allen Hight Middle School for a wile. Great site!
I was over at NP3 yesterday to get my application and understand that the middle school will not have a law themed curriculum.
FYI – from a budget perspective (because the eceonomy changed so dramatically since Hight was built), the move of NMS to HAH saves approx 1 million for the district, and then moving NP3 to NMS/Westlake’s Del Paso campus saves another $700,000 in NP3 facility rental. If you look at it from that perspective, dramatic changes call for creative solutions. In Elk Grove last year, they opened a new middle school and now they are regretting it, not knowing the state budget would go south. We are happy that our Natomas district was able to come up with a cost-saving solution within these tough times.
NTA Executive Board
Does anyone have any concern or back ground on Natomas Middle? I have heard nothing but bad news about that school. I heard a few years ago that the security guard was jumped by kids. Now obvisously not all children are into trouble but any insight someone can give would be helpful. this will truly help me decide if i move my daughter out of H A Hight or not.
Thanks
Can anyone provide feedback about moving Natoms Middle School kids to HAH? My daughter is there and i am considering moving her because i have heard horrible things about Natomas Middle School. thoughts? Feedback please….