Members of the John Glenn School Board discussed how enrollment is affecting classroom space in the lower elementary grades.
While the enrollment numbers are unknown until transfer student registration ends in May. Superintendent Richard Reese reported that an empty classroom at North Liberty Elementary School may be filled with students next year.
Administrators are attempting to keep the number of students in each classroom to about 24 and so far they have been successful in doing that. With the number of transfer students that could come into the corporation and regular enrollment, that could affect classroom sizes, staff, and utilization of space. There is flexibility in building choice at the elementary level which helps the situation.
Superintendent Reese does not anticipate any issues for the 2018-2019 school year.
The board members have discussed a potential small-scale building project for the 2020 school year to accommodate a projected increase of enrollment. No decisions have been made, but the discussion is ongoing.
The requirement of Pre-K may require an expansion.
Board member Jeff Johnson noted that the board researched a building expansion in 2011, but if that $2 million project had been done, that space would still be empty so it was an economic choice by the board at that time to not move forward with the project.
The board will keep the discussion alive as the school year progresses.
