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Piedmont board approves pre-K and kindergarten classes at Piedmont Elementary, clears pre-K wait list
Summary
The Piedmont Public Schools Board approved adding a pre-kindergarten and kindergarten class at Piedmont Elementary to free space at the Early Childhood Center, return specialist instruction to classrooms and eliminate the pre-K wait list.
The Piedmont Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to add pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes at Piedmont Elementary, a change board members and staff said will free space at the district’s Early Childhood Center and allow specialist instruction to return to classrooms.
Lisa (staff member) told the board the district added a pre-K and kindergarten class at Northwood last year and will add another this year at Piedmont Elementary. "This will free up some space at the ECC and allow those specialist classes that have been taking place in the commons to go back into classrooms and make enough room for our special services to have their space as well," Lisa said.
The board heard that the district used its boundaries map to assign students to the new Piedmont pre-K class and that transfer requests were considered. "We chose a specific area, from our boundaries map, and those are the students that are assigned to Piedmont Elementary. And then we also, you know, took any transfers that we were able to that from requests," Lisa said.
Board members emphasized minimizing moves for families as the district reorganizes grade assignments for an opening of a new elementary building. One board member asked whether families would be moved twice when the new elementary opens; Lisa responded, "The only neighborhoods we looked at were ones that, by design, would already be going to that school so that they will not be moved twice." The board also heard the change will help eliminate the pre-K wait list: "We have no wait list right now, and we have spaces available," Lisa said.
A motion to approve the grade-level additions was made and the board voted 4-0 in favor. Jared Mosher moved the motion and it was seconded by Neil (board member). The board’s vote was recorded as Derek: yes; Neil: yes; Jared: yes; Lane: yes.
The board and staff said the additional sections will allow the district to place special-services staff in proper spaces and that students who flow into Piedmont Elementary from neighboring areas will be routed into the new pre-K offering. No changes to total graduation or district-wide seat counts were discussed as part of this item.
The board moved on to other business after the vote.
