The San Diego Unified School District plans to remove middle school grades from four schools that teach transitional kindergarten through eighth grade. Three will lose their middle school grades next year: Audubon, Fulton and Golden Hill.
Superintendent Fabiola Bagula said school leaders brought concerns to her in 2023, when she was deputy superintendent. They worried they weren’t offering the same student experience as middle schools, she said.
“The area superintendent said the same thing,” Bagula said. “I went to talk to the person that was in charge of our instruction. She said, ‘Yes, I'm concerned. I don't think we are offering the same sort of benefits of the schedule and all of the electives to our K-8s.’”
On Friday, Area Superintendent Steven Dorsey told Audubon and Fulton families that they could attend Bell Middle School next year. Middle schools would give students “access to more course offerings and programs currently not offered at our smaller K-8 school sites,” he wrote.
Bell offers multiple language options, performing arts programs and a wellness center. It’s also a Community School, part of a state grant program that connects the school to outside support services.
The fourth school facing a loss of middle school grades is Bethune TK-8 School. Unlike the other three, Bethune will have its middle school grades through the 2026-27 school year, Dorsey said. He said those students could also attend Bell.
Bagula also looked at how many students were graduating from high school and meeting the state’s college admissions requirements. The percentage was higher among Bell graduates, she said.
“When I'm thinking about the experience that our students are having across our schools, it's not equitable,” she said. “Ultimately, our job is to make sure that children graduate and are able to live a choice-filled life at the end of this.”
According to the district, 88.74% of former Bell Middle School students graduated from high school in 2024. That went down slightly to 88.24% for Bethune graduates, 86.11% for Audubon and 76% for Fulton. The district has not yet provided data on the number of students at each school who went on to meet UC and CSU admissions requirements at graduation.
Bethune’s school community is pushing back. Nadine Trassare, her siblings, her nieces and her nephew all went to Bethune. Now, her daughters are in third and eighth grade there.
“I love this school,” Trassare said. “It's not just a school. It's like a family.”
Trassare’s daughter, Imani Rae Patterson, said Bethune fosters connections between older and younger students.
“I have that one group of friends throughout my whole elementary and middle school years,” she said. “They know you and they help you through everything.”
Trassare also points to Bethune’s test scores. In the 2023-24 school year, 53% of Bethune sixth graders met or exceeded the state standard in English. That’s compared to 23% at Bell, 28% at Audubon and 35% at Fulton. During the same year, 35% of Bethune sixth graders met the state standard in math, compared to 10% at Bell, 18% at Audubon and 10% at Fulton.
Bagula plans to meet with Bethune’s school community on Sept 24.
“I want to hear from them, and I’m keeping an open mind there,” Bagula said.
Bell Middle School’s enrollment has dropped by more than 200 students over the last decade. Factoring in declining enrollment, the district expects Bell’s enrollment to be around 900 students next year, once Audubon and Fulton students move over. Adding Bethune would bring the total to about 1,000, according to the district.
Golden Hill students have a few different options next year. In her letter to families, area superintendent Mitzi Merino suggested Roosevelt, Dana and Correia Middle Schools. Roosevelt serves sixth through eighth grades, Dana serves fifth and sixth grades and Correia serves seventh and eighth grades.
Golden Hill is a dual English and Spanish language immersion school. Roosevelt Middle School also offers a Spanish immersion pathway.
“That’s actually a perfect combination there,” Bagula said.
The district began adding middle school grades to the four schools in 2007. At the time, district leaders said there were few district-managed middle schools in the Lincoln, Morse and San Diego High cluster areas, and that students there were often going to charter schools or middle schools in other parts of the city.
The San Diego Education Association represents the district’s teachers. According to the union’s contract with the district, teachers at schools affected by an organizational change will get priority for open positions at other district schools.
“What I want to make sure that everyone knows is that they have a job,” Bagula said. “The children are still here. We still need them to teach our children. It'll just be a shift.”
Union president Kyle Weinberg wrote in a statement that the union advocates for shared decision-making around school restructuring.
“The well-being of students, families, and educators in impacted school communities should be the guiding value for this conversation, and their voices should be included in all stages of the decision-making process,” he wrote.
Bethune’s parent-teacher association is encouraging community members to speak at the next school board meeting on Sept. 30.
