- Oak View in Newberry started its first day as a K-8 school after converting from a middle school due to a district right-sizing plan in 2024.
- Newberry Elementary became a charter school, prompting Oak View's K-8 conversion to maintain a traditional public-school option locally.
- A new Pre-K-4 elementary building at Oak View is planned for fall 2028; meanwhile, modular buildings serve younger students with separate facilities.
Yellow buses, crossing guards and backpacks may have been a common sight around Alachua County on Monday morning, as students made their return to the classroom following summer break.
The first day of school can always be an exciting time for students and teachers. But there seemed to be some added energy at Oak View in Newberry on Monday morning, which was also celebrating its first day as a K-8 school.
Formerly a middle school serving grades five through eighth, Oak View was converted to a K-8 this summer as part of a right-sizing plan approved by the School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) in March that included new attendance boundaries and school closures.
Newberry Elementary School (NES) transitioned to an independently operated charter school this fall, leading Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) to convert Oak View into a K-8 to offer a traditional public-school option for families in the Newberry community.
According to ACPS’s website, “the district will soon begin planning for a new elementary building to be constructed on the Oak View campus.”
Jackie Johnson, a spokesperson for ACPS, previously told Mainstreet that the projected timeline for completion of the new Pre-K-4 elementary school is fall 2028, with “layout and construction to be determined.”
Until then, elementary students “will be served in modular buildings to allow for separation of younger and older students,” according to ACPS’s website. The buildings were moved on campus this summer and include separate spaces for classrooms, a warming kitchen/dining area, arts/music/media center, physical education and several playgrounds.
There is also a separate parent drop-off/pick-up area for the students housed in the modulars.
The parent drop-off/pick-up loop is located in front of the elementary modulars, which is also where students and families had the chance to walk a red carpet on Monday morning and take a photo in front of a school-specific backdrop.
Students and their families were greeted by district and school officials, Interim Superintendent Kamala Patton, SBAC Chair Thomas Vu and members of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), including Sheriff Chad Scott.
In an interview with Mainstreet, Patton shared her excitement for the first day and the Oak View K-8.
“It’s always good to have [a] choice for parents, and that’s what the elementary side [of Oak View] is representing,” she said.
As Oak View transitions into its first year as a K-8, it does so with a new, but familiar, name leading the school. Katherine Munn has returned as principal of Oak View K-8 after a five-year stint as principal of Oak View Middle School from 2012-2017.
Munn shared her excitement for being back at Oak View.
“It’s different, but it’s wonderful. It’s very exciting,” Munn said in an interview with Mainstreet.
Munn was in different places on Monday morning, including out front of the elementary modulars, greeting families and students, as well as assisting with traffic in the parent loop. She noted that so far, the feedback from students and parents regarding the transition to a K-8 has been “really positive.”
“The hard thing is the logistics,” she said. “We’re pretty far from the [middle] school. I found so far the best way [to get from the modulars to the middle school] is to drive back and forth.”
To help make the transition smoother for families and students, Munn said she has been using Facebook to post videos showing progress updates and the new traffic pattern.
“It gives people a visual,” she said. “It’s hard to picture something that’s brand new. They’ve never done this before. So, I think that has been the most important thing for them to see is really what does it look like? What is our playground going to look like? What is our classrooms going to look like? They’re not really portables. They’re kind of pods. They’re a little nicer. So, I think that’s what’s been important to people. For them to be able to see it.”
In addition to using Facebook for videos and updates, Patton also emphasized the importance of creating a welcoming culture for the students who were rezoned to new schools this year.
“With our rezoning this whole past year, somewhere around 3,200 students were rezoned,” she said. “So, it’s a big push on all of ours.”
Patton also shared some advice for parents as a new school year gets underway across the district.
“Stay involved with your kids,” she said. “Talk to their teachers. Talk to their principals. Always check on their homework. Follow their grades along in our electronic gradebooks. And when you have a question, ask us. We’re there for you.”
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.
