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Vernonia emphasizes small class sizes, staffing mixes and a new 9–12 hybrid program
Summary
Presenters told the committee the district prioritizes small class sizes (elementary target ~17:1), outlined staffing models for the online Bernonia Family Academy (1:75 monitoring model) and said the high school is currently 'skeletal' for delivering all course options; a new 9–12 hybrid alternative program is proposed to improve retention and graduation tracking.
District staff framed staffing decisions around classroom ratios and program needs as they walked through the staffing and enrollment sections of the packet.
"Small class sizes are definitely a priority for our district," the presenter said, describing elementary target ratios (about 17 students per teacher) and the district's approach to adding a second teacher once classes approach about 25 students. The presenters also described the Bernonia Family Academy monitoring model (budgeted at roughly 1:75 for staff who monitor online instruction) and explained that the proposed 9–12 hybrid program will place a certified staff member on campus to build relationships, track graduation progress and offer credit recovery or enrichment.
The presenter flagged that middle- and high-school staffing are near minimums for providing electives and required coursework, noting the middle school needs at least six teachers for the projected enrollment to cover course options and that the high school is "skeletal" at current staffing levels. Committee members were urged to review the staff-FTE pages to understand how split funding and fractional FTEs are shown in the packet.
