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Hill Classical Middle School – Photos by Hannah Maynard

Hill Classical Middle School in East Long Beach is set to transition into a small math-and-science oriented high school by the 2016-2017 fiscal year, it was decided by the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) Board of Education Tuesday night.

The dissolution of Hill was proposed to address the school’s declining enrollment over the years and also satisfy the incorporation of the Facility Master Plan, which calls for the establishment of several small-scale high schools in the area. According to the District, out of 774 students currently attending, only 45 live in the surrounding neighborhood, and over the past six years, enrollment has dropped by 400 overall.

Hill MSA motion to phase out Hill and convert it to a high school based on LBUSD’s successful California Academy of Mathematics and Science (CAMS) passed unanimously. 

The new magnet high school, yet to be named, is set to accommodate approximately 600-to-800 students like CAMS and will specialize in educating and preparing students in the fields of science, math and engineering in the same vein. CAMS is located on the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson and has earned renown for ranking 4th highest in SAT scores nationally. It will also not have any attendance boundaries, meaning students from around the district may apply.

The phase out will occur over the next few years with currently enrolled Hill students continuing their core classes and electives through graduation as normal, though the school will cease to enroll new 6th graders by Fall 2014. A 9th grade will be introduced by the 2015-2016 school year. LBUSD expects the final 8th graders to graduate by the end of the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

In an attempt to furthur ease the transition, the LBUSD board agreed to expand the attendance boundaries of Rogers Middle School to include Kettering Elementary School and Hill neighborhoods. 

According to District officials, the new high school is expected to partner with neighboring Cal State University Long Beach.

“It’s quite possible–it’s already being done in Dominguez–for a young person to graduate from the new CAMS [modeled] high school at the Hill site and, if it’s approved, enter the university as a sophomore in status because of courses he or she has taken,” said District 4 board member Job Meyer.

Several campus-transitional projects will also be undertaken as the site converts to a high school including the creation of 89 new parking slots, conversion of two classrooms into science labs, purchasing of two new computers and building of a physical education facility where the current gym stands. Funding for the $6.5 million additions will come from Measure K funds.

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According to LBUSD board members, Hill teachers and faculty need not fear for their jobs as they can expect to be relocated within LBUSD by their union after closure. Still, some members of the community weren’t satisfied by the Board’s final decision.

Hill educator Heather Valdespino argued that Hill’s low enrollment rates, which was one of the reasons the school was considered for transition, are due to enrollment caps imposed during 2011-2012. According to Valdespino, 85% of Hill students come from throughout the District.

“It’s definitely a school of choice,” Valdespino said.

And Marlene Martin suggested that maybe parents are simply leaving LBSUD out of dissatisfaction. She spoke of her son’s experiences with bullying and unresponsive faculty at various schools. Hill was a symbol of hope to Martin, an exception to her son’s struggles. She expressed hope that the concerned faculty and minor behavioral problems experienced at Hill will be incorporated into other Long Beach middle schools.

Read more:

Hill Middle School Phase Out Summary

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