The City of Selma Board of Education made a decision Thursday night that students will notice in the fall.

Because Selma High School has not met the Adequate Yearly Progress standards for two years, officials said changes were needed.

On Thursday, the board approved a plan to start a Freshmen Academy. They say other schools have found success by separating the grade levels, making the campus a smaller school setting for students.

The ninth grade will operate from its own wing of the high school, with core teachers’ classrooms in that wing.

Each small learning community will have its specialized faculty members and each of those educators will have direct responsibility and regular contact with the group of freshmen.

The board tabled a decision to do the same for the 10th through 12th grades.

But, the change for ninth graders should help them with transitioning from middle school to high school.

We applaud the board for thinking outside the box in looking for solutions for the high school. Not everyone will agree it’s a good program, but certainly the smaller school concept is a good idea.