Approximately 40 Morgan Hill School District students will be
changing schools Wednesday, just over two weeks into the school
year in order to balance classloads throughout the district.
Approximately 40 Morgan Hill School District students will be changing schools Wednesday, just over two weeks into the school year in order to balance classloads throughout the district.
The K-3 students will be leaving El Toro, Jackson, Paradise Valley, Los Paseos, San Martin and Burnett elementaries and will be distributed between Barrett, Nordstrom and P.A. Walsh elementaries.
Districtwide, there were 8,371 K-12 students as of Friday, 212 more students than the district’s prediction of 8,159. Adding in special day class students, Tate said, the enrollment is 8,553. Last year, the district started with 8,501 and moved 26 students from their neighborhood schools.
The district has 132 more K-6 students than administrators predicted. Assistant Superintendent Denise Tate said the 40 students must be moved to keep the K-3 class size reduction levels of 20 students to one teacher.
“These are K-3 moves only, and they are necessary to make us able to remain compliant,” Tate said Monday. “The public will recall that that (class size reduction) was a board commitment, and that members of the public and our teachers spoke out in support of the program.”
Tate said the elementary principals worked together to reduce the K-3 classes to the 20:1 ratio.
“They got together and we looked at where there was increased enrollment, then we analyzed who had an empty classroom and how we could move as few children as possible to fill the empty classroom,” she said. “The principals are certainly mindful that change is not easy, and they have planned good-bye activities for children that need to move. The receiving principal has planned welcome activities on Wednesday for the students.”
Superintendent Carolyn McKennan made it clear that the teachers and support staff are all working collaboratively to help children who will move from one school to another.
“Students are their first priority,” she said. “They are working to maintain a smooth transition and, as well, the board pledge to the community to maintain class size reduction.”
The district first attempts transfers of this nature by calling for volunteers. Letters went home Thursday with students in the affected grades, asking parents to respond by Monday morning.
“Realizing that not everyone would be eager to volunteer, the principals have made a list by the date stamp on the registration package and will be making phone calls today to those students who were the last to enter the schools,” said Tate.
The district also asked for volunteers from its staff to transfer to teach in the new classrooms. Two volunteers were needed, and by Monday morning three teachers had indicated they were interested.
Students in grades 4-6 will likely not be required to move, Tate said. When the principals met Sept. 3, the 4-6 average class size for the district was 29.15:1.
“The language of the contract (with the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers) calls for a ratio of 29:1,” Tate said. “I have made a call to the Federation president and asked for a little more time to see if more fourth, fifth and sixth children were to show up. If it starts escalating, then the district would need to determine where an additional teacher would be placed.
“But even then, it would be one school affected. We’re not going to move kids all over the place to get that ratio … We’re asking whether they might not give us a special dispensation because of budget concerns. To hire a $70,000 employee for .15 over ratio, well, we want to discuss with them if that is the best expenditure of $70,000.”
Tate said the district is not disregarding the contract with the teachers’ union and would not unilaterally make a decision.
At the secondary level, Tate said enrollment is 13 over prediction, which was 3,700. With special day class students, 7-12 enrollment is 3799 as of Friday.
“The majority of the gains districtwide came in two places,” Tate said. “We only predicted 43 to start the year at Central High, and as of Friday, there are 96. Also, we predicted zero new students for the home school program, and there are 22.”
McKennan said there is one bright spot in the numbers game.
“We are pleased that the enrollment has increased,” she said, “especially since kindergarten, first, second and third grades increased. That’s the future.”
