Enrollment down in District 88 schools

By RACHEL WEDDIG

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- As the new school year began for some District 88 students Tuesday and tenth through twelfth graders today, students will notice less commotion in the hallways. Superintendent Harold Remme reported that enrollment is down 65-75 students from last year.

Remme attributes the declining enrollment to a number of reasons.

"Birth rates are down as we have been monitoring them for a number of years," Remme said. "Fewer young families are here today because of a lack of affordable housing and availability of job employment. The way the economic housing commission provides employment opportunities and housing has a profound impact on schools. The decline we're experiencing is also happening in non-public schools as well."

Last year the board decided to cut $1.3 million from its budget for this year that included the equivalent of 27 full-time jobs. During the summer the district hired seven new staff members replacing those who had resigned, retired or were on a leave of absence. This leaves the district with 22 fewer teachers than last year due to budget constraints.

Having fewer teachers results in bigger class sizes and fewer class offerings at the secondary levels. Fewer services will be offered to students and less personal attention will be given to students.

Remme said he was notified of two sections at the 6th grade level that had 31 students and that some general classes will have 30 or more students as well.

This is the second year the district will not offer busing for students within a two-mile radius of the school. The district cut in-town busing last October. With the elimination of in-town busing the district saved between $80-$85,000.

"We had some calls of concern about daycare, but I think for the most part the community adjusted as best as they could," Remme said. "Some families had different problems for various reasons such as they didn't have any relatives in town to help them."

A concern with eliminating in-town busing was that attendance would decrease because children walking to school would be more likely to catch illnesses, but Remme said attendance wasn't affected.

Remme said some changes will be implemented throughout the school year.

"We're going to work more in the direction of staff being trained to diversify instruction," Remme said. "They will work on addressing the individual needs for students in a more effective manner to meet learning style needs."

The reading adoption program implemented in Jefferson Elementary last year will now include Washington Elementary so students will have the same reading program throughout K-6.

The district is also looking to focus more on utilizing test scores and data to design classroom instruction to increase student achievement addressing the individual needs of students.

Remme was excited to report the district has a new partnership with Martin Luther College (MLC) that will allow their education students to work in a public setting that will allow the graduates to be eligible for their Minnesota Teaching Certificate. The education students will student teach with the teachers in the classrooms.

"We've been working with the college on developing this program for the past two years," Remme said. "It's nice to see it become implemented and to be a positive partner with the local higher education community."

Remme felt that this is a positive addition for the district and MLC.

"The district is looking positively at this plan," Remme said. "It's part of the professional development of educators in the education field to have a responsibility to prepare future employees."

Some projects over the summer for the district included the replacement of a computer lab in the high school. The units in the lab were replaced and the old computers were moved to the middle school.

A major project in the high school included pipe installation to address a mold problem in the basement.

Blacktop was added to a maintenance storage space near Jefferson Elementary and extensive re-carpeting took place in Jefferson, the high school and in the Annex Administration building.

When students are outside playing at Washington Elementary they will have more options to choose from as new playground equipment was installed. The playground equipment was paid for through a fundraiser the parent teacher organization held.

Overall as Remme enters his fifth year as superintendent he's looking forward to another year.

"I'm looking forward to another year. Obviously we have the challenge of a referendum ahead of us," Remme said. "The community of New Ulm is one that has a very unique educational presence. For a community this size to have strong public and non-public systems and a strong college program is highly unusual."