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District projects net loss of elementary teachers under current enrollment projections
Summary
Superintendent presented teacher‑pupil ratio projections and enrollment estimates showing net reductions in elementary classroom teachers through attrition unless enrollment rises; committee discussed Title I, special‑education mainstreaming and monitoring plans.
Superintendent Dr. Kelly presented the district’s teacher‑pupil ratio (TPR) projections and enrollment data, saying the district is using current enrollment to allocate classroom teachers and will monitor numbers through May before making any staffing changes.
Dr. Kelly told the committee: “the district ratio is 2 teachers for 25 kids in kindergarten. That's a teacher and a teaching assistant. And then first through third, it's 1 teacher for 21 students. And then fourth through eighth, it's 1 teacher for 25 students.” The presentation removed self‑contained special‑education students from general‑education counts so the ratios reflect general‑education homerooms.
Using current enrollment counts and those ratio rules, the superintendent walked through each elementary school’s projections. She said Calhoun’s kindergarten cohort is 57 as of Feb. 21 and that Calhoun is scheduled to lose two teachers under the model; she clarified this would occur via attrition, not layoffs: “Calhoun is losing 2 teachers. And I wanna make sure when I say that, no one's getting fired. What that happens is through attrition.”
After reviewing the school‑level projections, Dr. Kelly summarized the district total: “So, losing 11 teachers from elementary and losing 1 from them.” She told trustees the district will continue to monitor registration and enrollment between now and May and that teachers could be added back if head counts increase.
The committee discussed Title I funding and local balancing choices. Dr. Kelly noted that a Title I school may use its federal allocation to buy additional teacher positions; in one example, the superintendent said a principal had five teaching assistants equating to about $250,000 and that she offered the principal the choice of converting some assistant funding into two teacher positions. The principal chose to keep the teaching assistants: “I want my teaching assistants.”
On regulations, a board member asked whether state rules govern ratios. Dr. Kelly said state regulations exist and the district is “way below that,” adding she believed kindergarten state limits are 30 students, and that the district’s ratios remain lower than the state maximum.
No formal staffing reductions were approved at the meeting. Dr. Kelly said the administration will keep the committee updated, run scenarios as registration changes, and use the district’s formulas to reassign teachers where needed.
Ending: The administration will continue enrollment monitoring and return to the board with revised projections if registration changes materially before May.
