Jr. High or Middle School?

[barkley]

when i was a kid it was

k-6th elementary
7th-9th jr high (that area has since kept the grades/renamed as middle school)
10-12th high school,

where we live now

elementary ends at 5th
6th-8th still called junior high
9th-12th high school.


here's a unique one-my kids went to a 'one room schoolhouse' (actually 2 rooms) from 1st-8th. started out with all grades in one room but later changed to 1st-3rd/4th-8th with no identifier beyond what your actual grade was.

 

[MamaMermaid]

I think it depends on where you live. In my neck of the woods (South Florida), it's middle school, grades 6-8.

 

[Funfire240]

Ours is different yet. In our district K-4 is elementary; 5-6 is Intermediate; 7-8 junior high; 9-12 high school.
Although I think we are the only district in the area that has schools set up this way.

 

[tzolkin]

In my experience living in several different states—
6-8: Middle School
7-9: Junior High

We lived in one rural NY district where there were only two schools. K-6 was Elementary and 7-12 was called Junior-Senior High. Just looked it up and they have now changed the name to Middle-High school, but they also changed the grades to 6-12 so 6th grade must be the cutoff to determine whether it’s considered middle school or junior high.

 

[bcla]

At my time it was 7-8 junior high, but the district has since changed it to middle school. I remember the first middle school (the one I went to) switched to a special academic program and then switched to 6-8 middle school, but it was optional as elementary schools were still K-6. They still are, but some parents opt to send their kids to the middle schools. We can see it where there might be 3 classrooms for each grade level, but by 6th grade there might be 1 or 2.

 

[AuntieMe3]

In our district, we have 3 7th and 8th grade schools. One is a Jr High and the others are Middle. No difference between the three besides their name. The Jr high is the oldest school so

 

[shoney]

From what I can tell the term junior high was switched to middle school some where between the 1980’s (when I was there) and the 2010’s ) when my children attended

My school was 7th and 8 th. And was renamed “xxxx middle school” at some point

My kids school was 6,7,8.

I work in a SE school k-21 and 6,7,8 is middle school. Don’t hear the term junior high anymore

 

[Mrs.AMC]

All of this brings up a related question,
Why is it still called Kindergarten?
Why do we still say K, then 1-12?
It is 13 years of school, no?
Yet to my knowledge, no one has "renumbered" their schools replacing K with 1, have they?

 

[Kirby]

When I was in school way back when, Kindergarten was optional and in either a daycare or private school. Elementary school was grades 1-6, junior high was grades 7-9 and high school grades 10-12.

Junior high was a carbon copy of high school. Drill team, cheerleaders, football games at the high school football stadiums. Band marching at half time. Pep rallies in the quadrangle. There was also wood shop and metal shop, home ec, spanish class, etc. I don't know when the name changed from junior high to middle school. Middle school is so boring compared to what I grew up with.

The school district I live in now has elementary K-6, middle school 7-8, freshman center grade 9 and high school 10-12. It's changed over the years to accommodate demographics and student enrollment numbers.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

It is 13 years of school, no?

Technically, yes, it's 13 years of schooling. But in many places Kindergarten is optional (it was when my kids went). So you didn't really HAVE to start school until first grade - equaling 12 years of school.

 

[RedAngie]

My town had 3 intermediate schools. Two were called Junior High, mine for some reason was called Middle School.

All were grades 7 & 8.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Here at the end of the US (Brownsville Texas), the change from calling grades 7-8 "junior high" to calling it "middle school happened about 25 years ago, between the time DS#1 went and DS#2 went. DS#1 went to Coakley Junior High; a few years later DS#2 went to Coakley Middle School, same school, different name.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Technically, yes, it's 13 years of schooling. But in many places Kindergarten is optional (it was when my kids went). So you didn't really HAVE to start school until first grade - equaling 12 years of school.

I wonder how many are left where it's voluntary. They switched it here about 20, 25 years ago. It's required. It was not free when it was voluntary, as in, you couldn't get it in the public schools. You had to pay for it at a private facility, usually a church or a day care facility.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

They are generally called middle school here but the grades vary.

For the district I grew up in it was K-6th, middle school was 7-8 and high school was 9th-12th

But the district I live in now it's K-5, middle school 6th-8th and high school 9th-12th

 

[tvguy]

I wonder how many are left where it's voluntary. They switched it here about 20, 25 years ago. It's required. It was not free when it was voluntary, as in, you couldn't get it in the public schools. You had to pay for it at a private facility, usually a church or a day care facility.

It appears that only 19 states require students attend kindergarten. https://www.ecs.org/kindergarten-policies/

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

All of this brings up a related question,
Why is it still called Kindergarten?
Why do we still say K, then 1-12?
It is 13 years of school, no?
Yet to my knowledge, no one has "renumbered" their schools replacing K with 1, have they?

You have pre-K as well though and many do this so it's really more years in school.

In my state compulsory attendance is required starting at age 7. Obviously majority are in school before that age and if you are enrolled in school then you're are now obligated to comply with the compulsory attendance law. But you aren't required to attend school prior to age 7.

 

[_19disnA]

As I recall, where I went to school was referred to as 'elementary or grade school' through grade 8. High School was grades 9-12, I don't recall any school in the area making the distinction between 'junior & senior' high school. I think some of the naming might be a regional thing or if you live someplace with a larger population, the schools tend to be more spread out and/or operate from separate buildings. If you live in a smaller community, more grades were housed in fewer buildings. I never really thought it mattered what the specific grade levels were called.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

It appears that only 19 states require students attend kindergarten. https://www.ecs.org/kindergarten-policies/

Wow. Fewer than I’d have thought

 

[dez1978]

All of this brings up a related question,
Why is it still called Kindergarten?
Why do we still say K, then 1-12?
It is 13 years of school, no?
Yet to my knowledge, no one has "renumbered" their schools replacing K with 1, have they?

I think in many places Kindergarten is optional so they don't rename it 1st. Otherwise some kids would just start 2nd grade.

 

[Moliphino]

Wow. Fewer than I’d have thought

I would've thought my state required it, but apparently not. They have to offer half day, but that's it? I went to kindergarten at the town elementary school 30 years ago.