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HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — On the recommendation of new Superintendent Dr. Casey Wardynski, the Huntsville school board today alleviated overcrowding at Providence Middle School by approving a plan to transfer those students to Williams Middle School.

Williams is operating at 42 percent capacity, Wardynski told the board in a presentation at the special meeting, making it easy to absorb the students from Providence.

Meanwhile, Providence Middle and Elementary — operating in the same facility — currently houses 1,094 students in a building designed for a capacity of 960 students. Had the move not been made, Wardynski said at least six portable classrooms would be necessary at Providence to ease overcrowding.

The dissolution of Providence Middle will be a two-year program. For the upcoming school year, sixth graders that would be starting Providence Middle will instead attend Williams Middle.

Seventh and eighth-grade students currently at Providence Middle will remain there.

Once the Providence Middle students have been transferred to Williams, Providence Elementary will use that vacated space.

The biggest drawback to the plan, Wardynski said, is busing. Students will still be transported to Providence Middle, then on to Williams. That plan will require students catch the bus about 30 minutes earlier each morning.

Transporting students to Providence and then to Williams will save the school system about $350,000, Wardynski said. The busing plan will be re-evaluated after the 2011-12 school year.

Meanwhile, the school board approved the hiring of eight principals on Wardynski’s recommendation.

The new principals:

Heather Bardwell, Weatherly Elementary

Patricia Boyd, Morris Elementary

Shelton Cobb, Huntsville Center for Technology

Jennifer Douthit, Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary

Sanchella Graham, Chaffee Elementary

Kirus Johnson, Davis Hills Middle

Ann Jobe, Academy for Academics and Arts

Chad Laqua, Butler High

Read more in Sunday’s Huntsville Times

Follow me on Twitter @paul_gattis

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