Glencoe District 35 will consider making staffing adjustments in the 2017-18 school year to reflect different class sizes, according to school officials.
At the Jan. 5 District 35 school board meeting, Supt. Catherine Wang said there may only be five kindergarten classes in the next school year, as opposed to the six now in place. District 35 is forecasting only 100 students in kindergarten next year, compared to the current enrollment of 133.
As a result of the projected decrease in kindergarten enrollment, Wang said there could be a reduction of one full-time teacher position, but a final determination has not been made.
Another change that could be coming next year is at West School, home to District 35 third and fourth graders. This year there are 109 students in fourth grade, but District 35 officials project at least 144 students in the fourth grade in 2017-18.
To accommodate the larger fourth grade enrollment, the administration is considering expanding from five to seven fourth grade classes.
“There is definitely plenty of room in the building for that,” Wang said.
Wang said there could be some reassignments of teachers from Central School – home to fifth through eighth grades – to West because of the expected fourth grade enrollment increase.
The staffing plan is scheduled to be formally considered at the March board meeting. The only decision made now, according to Wang, is to replace the South School nurse position, as the current nurse is retiring at the end of the school year.
In other business, the administration is recommending that the board approve a three-year lease worth just over $410,000 with Apple Computer to provide laptops, iPads, desktop computers and other associated equipment to teachers and students.
As part of the lease, Wang told the board, the administration believes it should maintain the current iPad program, which gives seventh and eighth graders the mobile tablets for the course of the school year. The program is now in its third year.
“We’ve seen great success with that from the teacher and student perspective, and the learning opportunities,” Wang said.
Wang said she would like to see more iPads available for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, with expanded use in sixth grade classrooms leading to individual use in the seventh and eighth grades.
Board member Eddie Chez asked why the number of iPads available should be expanded in sixth grade.
Director of Instruction and Curriculum Amy Holaday maintained it is a balance of how much technology should be part of the younger students’ day, because the district wants to keep the use of electronic equipment at a lower level for kindergarten through fifth graders.
“We feel strongly that we do a wonderful job in our district of providing a balance, so we give our kids an opportunity to use technology, but we also give our kids an opportunity to do things without technology,” Holaday said.
As part of the new lease, Wang said teachers will be given laptops instead of desktops for their classroom work and professional development needs.
Wang said the board may be asked to approve the new lease as early as its February board meeting, but more likely at its March meeting.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
