In September 2026, Bay Trail will transition from the house system to grade-level teams. The decision was made after reviewing the feedback from diverse stakeholder groups—including 6-8 grade faculty, the Shared Decision-Making Team, students, and families—who emphasized the need for a model that would better support a consistent experience for all stakeholders as they navigate grades 6-12.

Assistant principals and counselors will work specifically with one grade level and loop with that particular class for all three middle school years, which will prioritize relationship-building and consistency. The move will allow teachers and providers to implement the student support process more efficiently as teachers will collaborate more frequently.

Incoming sixth graders will continue to have the majority of their classes scheduled on the first floor to help with a smooth transition to middle school. Scheduling teams will also intentionally work to place an individual student’s classes within proximity of each other.

To prepare for this shift, Bay Trail leadership will engage in internal planning through the development of a grade-level transition committee and develop several communications, presentations, and feedback sessions with families and students.