District adopts multigrade elementary sections to preserve staff amid budget constraints

District education leaders told the board they will use multigrade elementary classrooms in selected schools this year to preserve staffing within a constrained elementary staffing cap.

Caitlin, the district's executive director of elementary education, said a cap of 140 FTE for elementary staffing was set during spring budget planning and, with required budget reductions, the district could not add new sections as it has in past years. As enrollment increased in some buildings, the leadership team ran scenarios and decided to implement multigrade classrooms to keep class sizes reasonable without exceeding staffing caps.

Officials said multigrade classrooms are not new to the district (they were used in 2015) and cited research showing multigrade and single-grade classes have similar academic outcomes while multigrade settings can support student agency, leadership and connectedness. Teachers assigned to multigrade classes received an additional seven hours of paid preparation time during workshop week and will be supported by teaching-and-learning supervisors and principals. The district also said it would not combine second and third grades (a stated parameter) and that principals and staff participated in placement decisions.

The district plans to monitor multigrade outcomes through existing assessment systems and student engagement surveys, and officials told the board they would collect both quantitative (FastBridge, curriculum-based measures) and anecdotal teacher and family feedback. The district said it will notify affected school communities and families about specific multigrade classroom placements later this week.