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The Structure Features table defines an Elementary School as "for the first four to eight years of a child's formal education..." but it also says "does not include combined elementary and middle schools". Does that mean that a K-8 school is considered Elementary, or should it be a General school? |
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Hi, Rene_des_Cartes - Great question! And yes, you are correct, this does seem a bit confusing, so much that we're actually in the process of updating the structures list to address this very issue as we speak (or type...). So perfect timing! To answer your question, an Elementary School is a building or learning complex that serves as a learning center for the beginning years of a child's education, often including kindergarten. A Middle School is a school that offers grade levels between Elementary and High schools. (Italicized text is wording taken directly from the pending update.) Under these categories, an Elementary School does not include K-8 schools. K-8 schools should be categorized as a General School since the structure merges two school types (i.e., Elementary and Middle) into one organization. K-12 schools are also considered a General School. Again, we are in the process of updating the Structures List to reflect this, so our apologies for the delay and/or confusion. We have updated our Confluence Website to reflect this information. Hope this helps! And thank you for your contributions! |
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UPDATE: Our structures list is now updated to help clarify this. Please reach out to us either via this Q&A forum, or at nationalmapcorps@usgs.gov for further clarification. As always, thank you for your contributions to The National Map! |
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It should be noted that Chicago Public Schools have combined their Elementary and Middle schools. I checked both CPS website and individual schools to confirm this. I have been putting them as General schools (even though some schools have retained the Elementary title) but I've noticed that they have later been edited back to Elementary. Is this case different? |
