Trend is toward rising enrollment

By Teresa Stowell of the Daily Times staff
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 12:52 PM CDT

Enrollment trends show the student population rising throughout the Watertown Unified School District since the 1997-98 school year, according to a study by district administrators.

Superintendent Dr. Doug Keiser reviewed charts showing enrollment in the high school, middle school and elementary levels since 1995 during the board of education's regular meeting Monday night. The charts showed the enrollment increases beginning at the elementary level and moving on through the middle school and high school through the years.

“Although the high school is under 1,350 students right now, the enrollment trends over the past few years mirror what we've been talking about,” Keiser said. “As our large elementary classes move on there will be more kids in the middle school and the high school.”

Administrators are projecting another large elementary class for the 2008-09 school year with at least 244 students and possibly up to 260 students.

Board members approved the open enrollment for the 2008-09 school year. A total of 25 students have applied to enroll in the Watertown school district and 87 students applied to withdraw from the district and enroll in a neighboring school district through the open enrollment program.

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“We will probably get about 70 percent of the students who want to enroll here and about 70 percent of the students who want to enroll elsewhere will enroll at a different school,” Doug Linse, district director of business services, said. “We'll likely see a net loss of 62 kids. The students leaving are not from a particular grade level.”

Board members received the ninth draft of the community survey being developed to understand the community's needs on the facilities.

Administrators have been working with representatives from School Perceptions, the company hired to create the survey, and Eppstein Uhen, the district's architecture company.

The survey will include a number of pages covering different components of the district. Questions will be posed on planning input such as energy efficiency, facility needs and financial support. The financial support section will specifically ask district residents if they would support funding operational costs for a new building.

The last referendum asked residents two questions which included the cost of a new building and a separate question authorizing the district to increase revenues on a non-recurring basis by $800,000 for seven years for increased operational costs related to a new elementary school and renovations of the other schools. The operational cost question was defeated by almost 2,000 votes. The survey will attempt to understand if residents would approve operational funding in another referendum.

“This survey isn't simply a canned survey with Watertown's name put in,” Keiser said. “It is far more complex and involved than we ever thought.”

The survey is planned to be distributed to the community in mid-April. Residents will have the option to take the survey online or by paper.

“We're hoping more people will take the online version, which has a number of nice features and added benefits to make their wishes known,” Keiser said.

When residents take the online version of the survey they can scroll over the question and have the option to receive more detailed information to further explain the question. That option isn't available on the paper survey.

“Those who don't have access to a computer can go to the library or contact the district office and we will give access to a computer,” Keiser said.

The board will hold a special meeting on April 2 to review and discuss the survey. A timeline for a third referendum will also be discussed. Discussion will also be held about finding a construction-project manager for the facility project.

Linse reviewed the budget timeline for board members. At this time the budget for the 2008-09 school year includes total revenues of $46,027,491 and total expenditures of $46,254,475, for a shortfall of $226,984.

“There is a lot of information missing that we won't have for a few weeks or months including property values and state aid levels,” Linse said.

Linse said the district will see an 18 percent increase in workers' comp insurance and about a $50,000 decrease in federal Medicaid transportation aid. With the progress of the 4K program, Linse said the district may see a 5 percent increase in revenue cap.

“We'll now see the benefits of the 4K students from two years ago,” Linse said. “There are many more factors concerning the budget that are not finalized at this point. We'll be working on it from now to October.”

A preliminary budget will be approved in September and the district budget hearing and adoption of the 2008-09 budget and tax levy will be in October.

District resident Heidi Schwoch asked the board to consider creating a policy on homework for parents to look to for guidance. Schwoch said the district doesn't have a policy for homework and there seems to be a lack of continuity of homework given from teachers.

Board President Kate Lapin said the board's policy committee will discuss Schwoch's request at a committee meeting later this month.

Riverside Middle School students and guidance counselors Sue Putra and Jim Schultz gave a presentation on the Friends Helping Friends and Dream Team programs at the middle school.

Friends Helping Friends is a program involving eighth-graders who are trained to welcome new students into the school. About 35 eighth-graders assist with tours of the school and are available to help new students when needed.

The Dream Team presents skits about the dangers of using drugs and alcohol. The students visit the fourth-grade classrooms in district elementary schools to perform the skits.

In other business, the board approved resolutions:

- The resignation of staff members Elizabeth Kriege, special education paraprofessional, and Stefanie Spilde, high school cheerleading football and basketball coach.

- The hiring of certified staff, Patrick MacArthur, high school social studies limited term teacher; non-certified staff, David Griffin, high school drama assistant; and Aaron Hale, high school freshman boys soccer coach.