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Board eases kindergarten class sizes Another section to open at Lowell Elementary in the fall Staff Writer The Brainerd School Board Monday approved the opening of another section of kindergarten for this fall at Lowell Elementary, which will help alleviate large kindergarten class sizes at three of the district's six elementary schools this fall.
This will mean that some Garfield kindergartners - and two students who thought they were going to Nisswa School - will now be attending Lowell School on Sept. 2.
Willy Severson, Brainerd director of schools, said that if a new section of kindergarten wasn't approved, on average Lowell School would have 35.5 kindergartners per classroom, Garfield School would have 32.3 kindergartners per classroom and Nisswa would have 31 kindergartners per classroom.
These students would then experience some of the highest class sizes in the entire district. Other highest class sizes include an average of 35.8 seventh-graders per class at Forestview Middle School and 35.27 ninth-graders per class at Brainerd High School South Campus. The average kindergarten classroom sizes at the three other elementary schools are at 28.25 per class at Baxter, 24.5 per class at Harrison and 29 per class at Riverside.
Since the board approved the recommendation, another kindergarten classroom will open at Lowell and some students will be moved from Garfield School, along with two students from Nisswa, to Lowell to bring those numbers down to an average of 28 students per classroom at all three schools.
Superintendent Steve Razidlo said the cost to add back another teacher, hire a classroom assistant and provide classroom supplies will cost about $80,000. Those funds will be taken out of the unreserved fund balance. Severson said furniture from the former Whittier and Lincoln schools will be utilized in this new classroom.
The district already has 18 sections in each elementary grade level except kindergarten, which has had 17. Razidlo said he and school administrators are not anticipating a "bottlenecking" effect next year when this kindergarten class enters first grade because this classroom addition will even up all the elementary grade levels. The district is anticipating 507 students in kindergarten starting Sept. 2.
Razidlo said the attendance boundaries, which for the first time this year require elementary students to attend the school within his or her attendance area, will need to be somewhat flexible each year to accommodate possible changes like this. Future housing developments and growth also will play a factor in where attendance boundaries are drawn.
"I agree with administration," said board member Bob Nystrom. "To have kindergarten classes with almost 36 students is unacceptable. That's why I'm supporting this. I know we have to spend more money here but it's worth spending it here."
Board member Ruth Nelson, who previously did not support all-day, everyday kindergarten offered at each of the six elementary schools because it didn't alleviate the largest class sizes in the upper grade levels, pointed out that she was supporting this recommendation. However, she noted it wouldn't have been such an expense had the board not opted for all-day, everyday kindergarten throughout the district instead of offering part-time kindergarten this fall.
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
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