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Published November 21, 2008, 12:00 AM

Elementary enrollment keeps growing

Hudson’s elementary school enrollment has increased by 21 since the official count on Sept. 19. At that time, elementary enrollment had increased by 33 students over last year. By Nov. 11 that increase had grown to 54.

By: Meg Heaton, Hudson Star-Observer

Hudson’s elementary school enrollment has increased by 21 since the official count on Sept. 19. At that time, elementary enrollment had increased by 33 students over last year. By Nov. 11 that increase had grown to 54.

The new students are spread over several of the district’s six elementary schools but many of them live in the River Crest area. The impact has been felt the most in the school’s four sections of second grade, all of which have either 24 or 25 students. That is two to three students more than the top end of the district’s class size guidelines of 18-22 in grades K-2.

Deputy Superintendent Nancy Sweet presented a plan to address second-grade class size at River Crest at the School Board meeting last week. The plan has four steps:

  • Contact parents of River Crest second-graders to ask if anyone would like to transfer, along with any siblings, to Rock Elementary. Transportation would be provided and families would be assured of remaining at Rock until they completed elementary school.

  • With parent response, review the status of the class sizes to see what, if any, additional steps should be taken.

  • If enrollment remains the same, a part-time educational assistant would be hired to work with the second-grade teachers and students at an estimated cost of approximately $6,800.

  • The district will continue to monitor the enrollment and if necessary assign any new second-graders with siblings to Rock Elementary.

    The second-grade classes at Rock are currently in the mid- to upper teens.

    Sweet said the district will notify area residents and real estate agents of the possibility that children in the area could be assigned to other schools.

    The board heard from a River Crest parent with two second-graders who was concerned about the class size. He said he was glad to see the district had a plan. He also suggested that the district look at the impact of this large class as they move through the elementary grades.

    Sweet said her office is trying to identify long-range plans that will have as little impact as possible on families already at River Crest.

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