A new support program at Richmond Middle School is helping struggling students rebuild their grades, attendance and confidence after educators created a nontraditional path for at-risk learners. The Richmond R-XVI Board of Education heard an update on the Shield program during a recent meeting, where middle school staff described early success in helping students facing academic, behavioral and socialemotional challenges through individualized support plans and flexible learning options. Middle School Principal Staci Maddux explained the idea grew after seeing the success of a similar at-risk program at Richmond High School and recognizing some younger students were struggling in traditional classroom settings. Maddux emphasized staff wanted to intervene earlier rather than wait until those students reached high school, where credit recovery and graduation requirements can carry greater consequences. “My goal through all of this is to try to catch them early, so they don’t have to…