Making room in the classroom

Brainerd elementary students may notice something new this fall in their classrooms - a little extra elbow room.

The Brainerd School District is attempting to alleviate large class sizes, particularly at the elementary level, and Monday hired several teachers for the upcoming school year.

Of those positions hired, 8.5 teaching positions are to be funded through a combination of a shift in Title funds and a portion of staff development funds in the general fund budget.

Willy Severson, director of schools, said Baxter Elementary was projected at about 30 students per first grade classroom and now is down to about 23 students per classroom, allowing for additional growth in enrollment. Other elementary class sizes range from 15 to 29 students per classroom but Severson said the district is monitoring student enrollment on a weekly basis and teaching staff may be adjusted.

Severson said the district had 6,871 students last school year and is projected to have an enrollment of 6,795 students this fall, a decrease of 76 students. He reported that the district has approved 28 new open enrollments for the fall. The district also has two half-year and four full-year enrollments for foreign exchange students and is expecting about four to five additional foreign exchange students for the fall.

During the 2008-09 school year, the district had 403 non-resident students attending Brainerd Schools and 284 Brainerd students attending school elsewhere. The district also had 42 students attending a charter school, a net gain of 77 students through open enrollment. The district also has 170 students who were homeschooled.

In board action, the following teachers were hired: Leah Brown, Forestview physical education teacher; Kellie Guida and Blair Jedinak, Lowell second-grade teachers; Jennifer Kannel, Riverside first-grade teacher; Katie Kremin, early childhood special education teacher; Andrianna Logelin, Riverside kindergarten teacher; Jill O'Grady, part-time Riverside Title I teacher; Kristina Olson, Garfield first-grade teacher; Erica Ruen, Garfield first-grade teacher; Ashley Scott, Lowell first-grade teacher; Janice Wangsness, Baxter first-grade teacher; Trisha Longnecker, Brainerd High School science teacher; and Julie Otto, Riverside Title I teacher.

The following resignations were accepted: Steve Kimble, Forestview sixth-grade teacher; and Gena Sperling, Garfield kindergarten teacher.

JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.