Verndale School Board: To cap or not to cap open enrollment?
by Trinity Gruenberg
trinity@inhnews.com
The Verndale School Board held its regular meeting on February 6.
Capping Open Enrollment
Superintendent Jeannie Mayer explained first grade is her concern as each class has 23 students. At what point do they look at adding a third section as they would need to find another teacher and space for the class?
They don’t want to turn away families and students and stop the growth in the school.
They discussed the 2014 addition and the 20-year bond and would prefer to wait until that is paid off before adding on to the school again. The consensus is to keep class sizes small for better learning.
The school has to enroll the kids from within the district.
The sophomore class was three sections at one point. A portable classroom is an option if need be, but not ideal if kids have to go outside in the weather and have no bathroom facilities. Also, the need for natural light is a concern to have an optimal learning environment.
The ideal number for K-2 is 44 students. The first grade is at 46. Those grades are critical educational years to have the kids reading well by third grade. . .