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The biggest kindergarten class since 2003 started school this month, prompting Winona Area Public Schools to add an additional kindergarten teacher at W-K Elementary School. Earlier this month, board members learned that kindergarten class numbers were a bit high on the other end of the district, too, at Goodview Elementary, and two kindergarten supervisors were added there to help balance the higher class load.
Human Resources Director Pat Blaisdell told the Dist. 861 school board that the addition of the two kindergarten supervisors would put another adult in the room for 4.5 hours per day, which would help the teacher out with a class size of about 23 students. She said adding another kindergarten class at the site would make class sizes lower than the district’s class size target. The kindergarten supervisors currently help out at lunch and recess. The additional supervisor time will cost the district approximately $17,000.
Overall, enrollment was on target at about 3,134, reported district finance officer Dan Pyan. “The capture rate [percent of students who choose WAPS over other school choices] is about five percent higher than last year, too,” he said.
In response to questions about why the senior class seemed about 50 students higher this year, Pyan said about 30 students are staying on another year at the Alternative Learning Center, about five new seniors have started there, and five new seniors who formerly attended another school started at the high school .
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