Some school systems, for whatever reason, divide up elementary in weird ways - prek-2, 3-5 is pretty common, but I *have* heard of starting middle school in 4th when the middle school is largely integrated into the elementary school.
Which is what we're finding now makes the most sense, the old-school system of keeping them in the same school up until 8th grade. Moving to a new school in those years is associated with less learning and more social-emotional and behavioral problems, even when the move is expected and standard. IIRC, second best is for them to move straight up to a combined middle-high school - having older students to look up to seems to mitigate some of the middle school problems. But having them move schools, often to a significantly larger school, and then isolating that age group both from younger kids to set a good example for and older kids to look up to is just a disaster and if we weren't used to doing it we probably wouldn't do it.
no subject
Which is what we're finding now makes the most sense, the old-school system of keeping them in the same school up until 8th grade. Moving to a new school in those years is associated with less learning and more social-emotional and behavioral problems, even when the move is expected and standard. IIRC, second best is for them to move straight up to a combined middle-high school - having older students to look up to seems to mitigate some of the middle school problems. But having them move schools, often to a significantly larger school, and then isolating that age group both from younger kids to set a good example for and older kids to look up to is just a disaster and if we weren't used to doing it we probably wouldn't do it.