Twenty-three students in kindergarten through 12th grade have left Brainerd Public Schools since October, but the district also has gained 73 students in the early childhood special education program this school year.
The Brainerd School Board Monday heard an update from Steve Lund, Brainerd Schools director of business services, on how enrollment has progressed through the 2016-17 school year. Lund calculated his enrollment numbers from Oct. 1 through March 1.
The district had 6,538 students in kindergarten through 12th grade on Oct. 1 and there were 6,515 on March 1. The district had 212 students in the ECSE program on Oct. 1 and that number grew to 285 students on March 1, a difference of 73 students.
The grade losing the most students this school year was 12th grade, with 14 high school seniors leaving. By grade the district lost one kindergartener; lost nine first-graders; gained four second-graders; gained three third-graders; gained one fourth-grader; lost three fifth-graders; gained one sixth-grader; seventh grade stayed the same; lost two students each in eighth- and ninth grade; lost six 10th-graders; and gained five 11th-graders.
The ninth grade class continues to have the highest number of students with 557 students. Kindergarten has the lowest with 474 students. Average class size per grade level in the elementary school level is 22.57 students in kindergarten; 21.73 in first grade; 22.35 in second grade; 24.95 in third grade; and 24.30 in fourth grade.
ADVERTISEMENT
Lund also provided a graph of how enrollment has fluctuated since the 2003-04 school year. The graph shows how enrollment took a hard hit, a 4 percent decrease, in the 2008-09 school year-the year when the district made massive cuts to its programs and closed two elementary schools. This enrollment decrease followed an already 1.5 percent decrease from the prior four-year period. Enrollment continued to spiral down slightly for three years and then finally in the 2012-13 school year, more students began to enter Brainerd school doors.
Lund plans to present enrollment and budget updates to board members each month to help them make the best decisions they can with the most accurate information the administration can provide them. Lund said the enrollment numbers will show how many students are at each grade and at each school, which will help the district in its future planning.
Board Member Tom Haglin asked Lund about the reasons why students are leaving the district. Lund said the district now has a form in place where students fill out why they are leaving. Lund said there are six or seven categories, including if the students is leaving to go to a neighboring school or moving out of the school district boundary area.
"This year was a big step in managing enrollment by month to even by day," Lund said. "We just started this."
Lund said seeing the enrollment and budget numbers every month will help keep the board up-to-date on its budget projections so they can make efficient decisions. For instance, Lund said there are 65 third-graders at Harrison Elementary School who are split up in three sections. The school currently has only two sections for fourth-graders and there is no space right now for another section at the school. He said that will be one thing the district will have to figure out.
In other school business, the board:
Heard about the city of Baxter's plan on forming a Tax Increment Financing district to facilitate redevelopment, including multifamily housing and retail/commercial development along Highway 371 in the city. Housing development in the First Addition to Pine Grove Estates plat, formerly known as Baxter Woods is anticipated to begin this spring and will eventually include three 35-unit apartments and two eight-unit townhomes. In addition, 33,500 square feet of retail and commercial development is anticipated to be constructed this spring.
In Lund's presentation, it states the school district has to pay its part of the TIF district for the project and it would be paid over a 15-year increment. The project improvements would only impact the district's annual tax levy through an increase in the tax capacity tax rate. Lund stated the annual tax levy would be estimated at $86,100 in potential taxes.
ADVERTISEMENT
"TIF only impacts the school district's tax capacity tax base, but the increased value is applied to the referendum market value tax base, so any of the tax levy amounts that are taxed against the referendum market value would include the proposed improvements value," Lund said.
Lund said the school board does not need to take action. He said Baxter City Council will host a public hearing on the TIF Tuesday and he will attend.
Heard a technology update from Sarah Porisch, technology director. Porisch said the district has been able to do so much with the limited amount of technology the district has. She said they have added MakerSpace in every building in the district, with help of a donation from CTC. This technology allows students to work with 3D printing technologies, creating art using Spirograph. She said the technology allows teachers to teach anywhere in their classroom and beyond. The district uses iPads, Chromebooks, Chrome Apps, Google Drive and more.
Amanda Ramey, teacher at Riverside Elementary School; Sandy Larson, who does Title One and technology at Lowell Elementary School; Erin Litzinger, teacher at Brainerd High School; Jodi Converse, teacher at BHS South Campus; and Jessica Haapajoki, principal at the Brainerd Learning Center, all shared with the board how they use technology in the schools to help students. They said working with the digital products gives them more time to instruct students as they can process student and teacher data so much faster than before. The students learn more and faster and are excited about the school work.
Approved the resignation of Justin Edin, a special education teacher at the South Campus, effective June 5.
Approved the hiring of Amelia Erickson as an early childhood special education birth through age 5 teacher, a new position at the Washington Educational Services Building.
Approved 12-week maternity leaves for Shannon Moran and Cassara Tideman.
Accepted several donations to the school district.
ADVERTISEMENT
Approved second readings of the following policies: instructional curriculum, assessment of student achievement, credit for learning and online learning options.
Approved third and final reading of the instructional services-special education policy.
