Ninth-grade teacher Jill Villasana laughs with her students during class

March 19, 2012 | 1:44 p.m. CDT

Ninth-grade teacher Jill Villasana laughs with her students during a government class at Jefferson Junior High School. Her time at Jefferson will come to an end at the conclusion of the 2012-13 school year because of Columbia Public Schools grade realignment. Starting in fall 2013, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students will go to intermediate schools, while ninth-graders will be shifted to high schools.