Committee to review enrollments
School Board members approved convening a committee to review enrollments in the district, but made it clear that the committee would not be recommending new facilities this school year.
Members of the Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC) that looked at district growth and facilities two years ago will be asked to meet Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m. to review subdivision growth, enrollments, potential attendance boundary adjustments and timelines. They will not make recommendations for new facilities at this point.
Halfway through its 5-year interval of convening a FAC, the district continues to experience community and enrollment growth. The previous FAC did not recommend holding a referendum for new facilities, but urged the district to monitor growth. Growth at Woodside Elementary School has been a concern, and this fall a relocatable classroom was set up to house four sections of fifth-graders as a temporary measure.
The new committee will review growth in the Woodside attendance area, and consider options that could alleviate some growth there. The committee may address attendance boundary shifts in undeveloped areas.
“It might be prudent to address boundaries now before houses appear,” Superintendent Kathleen Cooke said.
District uses vertical teaming
Vertical teaming is a new process the district uses to strengthen its curriculum. Instructional Services Supervisor Dee Bauman, Ph.D., updated the School Board on how the district ensures that curriculum and instruction are sequenced across grades so that learning can progress in a seamless manner as students move from grade to grade and course to course.
Staff members began using vertical teaming in communication arts, social studies, science and mathematics. The goals of vertical teaming are to:
- identify essential skills and concepts and teach them with increasing sophistication and depth as students move through grades and courses; and
- prepare all students for success in higher-level classes, including enriched, honors and Advanced Placement courses.
Bauman noted that secondary level communication arts and social studies teachers will participate in their second vertical team workshop this fall. Science teachers will begin the process second semester, and mathematics teachers will start next fall.
Personnel matters
School Board members reluctantly accepted the resignation request of Dean Schultz, assistant superintendent for educational services. Retirement will be effective at the end of the school year for Schultz who joined the district in 1996.
School Board member Deborah Briggs said that Personnel Committee members did not want to take action on the request.
“We have great respect for Dean,” Briggs said. “He has done so much for the district.”
“We don’t want him to retire, but this is the time he has chosen,” she said.
In other personnel business, the School Board appointed:
- Crystall Hoffmann as a Hamilton Special Services paraprofessional;
- Pat Koll as a Willow Spring paraprofessional;
- Karl Siehs as a Templeton custodian; and
- Annette Kremer as a Woodside Special Services paraprofessional.