The Forest Lake Area School Board is moving forward with two major changes next year to address a drop in enrollment.

The school board last week voted unanimously to have all district sixth-grade students, currently enrolled in six of the district’s seven elementary schools, moved to Forest Lake Area Middle School, creating a school for grades 6-8.

This year, the district has 427 sixth graders. Superintendent Steve Massey said the changes will provide sixth-grade students with “expanded learning time in core academic areas, expanded opportunities in the arts and exposure to career gateway courses.”

District officials also voted to consolidate Forest View Elementary School and Forest Lake Elementary School. The schools, which are next door to one another, are currently partner schools: Forest View Elementary School, built in 1968, serves 330 students in grades kindergarten through third grades and also houses preschool programming, and Forest Lake Elementary School, built in 1957, serves 314 students in grades fourth through sixth.

The schools became partner schools in the 2010-2011 school year; Forest View went to K-3, and Forest Lake went to 4-6.

Plans call for Forest Lake Elementary School to close next fall, and all students will attend Forest View Elementary.

The consolidation of the two elementary schools will allow the district to “maximize operational opportunities,” while retaining the district’s tradition of community-based elementary schools, Massey said.

The district has lost about 1,000 students over the past 10 years.

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