Idaho’s Meridian High tries to create a small-school experience. Goal is to give its 2,100 students a sense of belonging so they’ll do better academically

Kristin Allen never expected the call from Meridian High School about her freshman son, who started class there late last month.

"I had a teacher call me the second week of school and ask how his experience had gone so far and how he was adapting to the new environment," Allen said. "I was impressed."

That phone call is a tiny piece of large-scale reform rolling out at Meridian High School this year to make students, parents and teachers feel more connected to the sprawling campus that houses nearly 2,100 students on West Pine Street.

Meridian High, with the help of a $1.7 million federal grant it shares with the district’s Mountain View High School, is developing a more intimate environment where teachers get to know their students better and parents are drawn more quickly into how their students are doing behaviorally and academically.

The goal: If kids feel a closer attachment to their schools and believe teachers care about them, they’ll do better in their lessons.

Bill Roberts
Idaho Statesman

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