Rutherford principal outlines strengths, space challenges and intervention gains

Heather, Rutherford Elementary principal, told the Stillwater Area Public Schools board that Rutherford’s staff and programs have produced academic and social‑emotional gains even as the building’s open‑learning design creates scheduling and space challenges.

Rutherford serves 573 K–5 students and has a capacity of 675, Heather said. “Our free and reduced lunch population is at 16%, our multilingual learners are at 2.4%, our special education is at 16.7% and then our children of color are at 15.4%,” she said. She told the board the school’s certified teachers have a combined 874 years of experience and support staff 248 years.

The principal described Rutherford’s five “houses,” each with multiple flexible learning spaces, and credited a strong PTA with funding two new playgrounds, makerspace carts and other classroom grants. “They purchased 10 makerspace carts…teachers can check those carts out, bring them right into their…