Posted: 8/20/03

Scandia Elementary staff gets boost

What was once a half is now a whole.

Just 10 days after voting to approve a half-time Grade 1 teacher at Scandia Elementary School, the ISD 831 School Board has agreed to make the position full-time.

The enrollment of four new students in the Scandia area for Grade 1 made the move possible, school officials said.

When the board held firm on a half-time position at the Aug. 4 meeting, there were 78 students enrolled in three sections. While the number per class was not what the board liked, other similar situations in other schools created a fairness issue the board said it could not ignore.

But at the Aug. 14 special meeting, the board was told the Grade 1 enrollment at Scandia had increased from 78 students to 82 and may go higher yet.

With 27 and 28 students per classroom in the first grade, the board changed direction and increased the half-time teaching slot to a full-time position. The administration agreed that Grade 1 classes with 27 and 28 students was ìjust not reasonable.î

The addition staff will create four classes with 20 or 21 students.

The board voted unanimously to make the change.

At the Aug. 4 meeting, some 27 Scandia parents went before the board to lobby for the full-time Grade 1 position to bring down the average class size. While parents were disappointed with the decision on Aug. 4, they agreed to work with the district.

The patience of the parents has now been rewarded.

School officials said last week the additional half-time salary cost would be covered in part by the addition of four new students and more state aid.

Top of Page