Cory McElmeel has had some interesting conversations with students this summer.

At various events, several incoming freshmen have told McElmeel, head of the Ypsilanti school district’s newest high school, New Tech, that they’re ready for summer to be over and school to start.

That’s not a conversation he’s used to having, McElmeel said. But it’s a testament to the excitement surrounding the fall opening of the school, which will focus on technology and a new project-based learning system.

The opening of the new high school is one of several reforms being undertaken by the Ypsilanti school district. The moves place the east side district squarely in the center of the blossoming high school reform movement in Washtenaw County.

“Looking at the standardized test scores, it became clear we needed to make changes,” said Jennifer Martin, the district’s assistant superintendent of educational quality.

In the latest round of Michigan Merit Exam testing, scores for the district dropped from the previous year in four of the five categories. The scores were below the state average in every category by at least 17 percentage points.

Those scores, past scores and graduation rates led state officials to tell district administrators the high school was likely to be placed in the bottom 5 percent of schools in the state. That would have made the district eligible for state funds for reform efforts.

Conversations began on how to turn the traditional comprehensive high school into a school with a focus on arts and communications.

When the official list came out, Ypsilanti wasn’t on it. But Martin said that hasn’t slowed those conversations down.

“We’re not happy with our students’ achievement. Restructuring is a must,” she said. “However, we are working with financial constraints.”

The district has involved Eastern Michigan University in those talks and aims to make big restructuring changes in the next two years.

But district officials aren’t waiting that long for changes to start, Martin said. They’re committed to changing the culture and the climate at the high school, starting the first day of school this year, she said.

Much of that work includes ensuring teachers are using common assessments and other teaching methods, so an algebra class taught by one teacher is the same as one taught by another teacher.

The district is also heavily involved in the Early College Alliance and the countywide International Baccalaureate high school slated to open in the fall of the 2011-12 school year.

“The traditional comprehensive high school does not work for all students,” Martin said, adding she and other Ypsilanti administrators believe the best way to boost achievement is through smaller schools.

However, Ypsilanti’s budget doesn’t allow for costly changes. The district finished the 2009-10 school year with a multi-million dollar budget deficit and is operating under a state-mandated deficit elimination plan.

That’s why the district is joining forces with neighboring districts to form several of the new high school options, including the ECA and the IB high schools.

“We need to provide these options to our students in order to help them learn,” Martin said. “That means we have to share resources.”

The district has no further plans at this time to open additional small high schools, but is always interested in listening to ideas backed by research, Martin said.

“We are going improve our kids’ achievement,” she said.

David Jesse covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at davidjesse@annarbor.com or at 734-623-2534.