Currently, 9 of the 11 elementary schools in Quincy are grades K-5. Only Lincoln Hancock and Clifford Marshall only go to 4th grade. The 5th graders in those school districts go to middle school. Studies have shown that putting adolescents into a middle school atmosphere at too young an age is detrimental to the students' social and academic development. These 2 school districts house some of the lowest socioeconomic areas of the city and the middle schools in that area (Sterling and Point Middle Schools) are the lowest in the city in performance and state ranking. Every student in the city deserves a similar elementary school experience regardless of which part of the city they live.  If you support keeping 4th graders in elementary school AND finding a way to bring the 5th graders at Sterling and Point Middle Schools back to the elementary schools in those areas, please add your name to our petition!