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Downingtown reports rising full-day kindergarten enrollment, adds classrooms and teachers
Summary
District staff told the board they have 807 students enrolled in full-day kindergarten as of the prior Thursday, prompting in-house renovations at two elementary schools and plans to add roughly 12 teachers, with space and staffing monitored weekly.
District staff told the Downingtown Area SD board on July 9 that enrollment in full-day kindergarten has climbed since late June, prompting the district to add classrooms and line up additional teachers.
Dr. Chan said the district reported 807 full-day kindergarten enrollments as of last Thursday, up from 793 reported June 26. "We do these checks every Thursday or Friday of each week," Dr. Chan said. "From a staffing perspective, we're estimating as of today that we'll need to add 12 teachers. But that number could change ... it could climb as high as 16 potentially." He said the district is monitoring weekly and during interviews.
Kelly Harper described in-house renovation projects at East Ward and Bradford Heights elementary schools to create additional classrooms for full-day kindergarten. Harper said East Ward's library is being renovated into two classrooms with LED lighting, new carpeting, drywall partitions, paint and HVAC work and is about 75% to 80% complete with a targeted August 8 completion date. At Bradford Heights, Harper said staff are adding one classroom, one single-use restroom and storage; that project is likewise about 75% to 80% complete.
Board members asked whether the district has space available if a school grows enough to require an extra section; Dr. Chan said space is available in the buildings identified. He cited specific enrollment changes: Euclid Hills will open a fifth first-grade section (up from three sections last year and four initially projected), and Pickering Valley will add a first-grade section (from three to four). The superintendent and staff said the net kindergarten increases are being managed alongside decreases in other lower grades; Dr. Chan said the district is down 161 students K'through'5 compared with the end of the prior school year, concentrated in lower grades.
District staff said they will continue to monitor enrollments weekly and adjust staffing and space as needed before the start of the school year.
