District 88 Board

OKs hiring request

Approval comes despite money concerns

By KREMENA TODOROVA

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The District 88 Board of Education on Thursday approved the hire of a full-time and two half-time kindergarten paraprofessionals, even though board members voiced concerns over the expense.

The request for the one-year contracts was made by Jefferson Elementary Principal Tanya Schull, who cited "the variety of needs" in this year's kindergarten classes.

"These needs, teamed with larger class sizes, present problems that the classroom teachers are not able to address," Schull wrote to the board.

More specifically, justifying the need for a full-time para, Schull cited the last-minute enrollment of two students who speak no English.

She requested the part-time paras to help out in two other kindergarten classrooms in the morning, when most academic concepts are initially taught.

Board members made no secret about their reluctance to spend the extra money, estimated at a total of about $24,000.

Board member Susan Nierengarten raised the issue of the district's flexibility to "adjust down, as well as up," if things change during the year.

She voiced her "extreme discomfort" that during the school year, the district "is always increasing and never decreasing" the number of paraprofessional contracts.

Nierengarten noted that the situation of the non-English speaking students -- "little sponges at that age" -- may well change, eliminating the need for a para.

Her comments were echoed by board member Brian Wieland, who expressed reluctance to vote for the measure, unless it was coupled with budget cuts elsewhere "to even things up."

"It's like your own checkbook," he said. "You just don't spend it, if you don't have it."

Administrators acknowledged that late hiring requests put extra strain on the budget -- which was about $1 million in the red last year and is projected to be about $800,000 in the red this year, spending the district's reserve down to a minimum.

But they also pointed out that requests for extra paraprofessionals are made by principals because administrators try to budget as tight as they can to start with -- so any new special circumstance can easily tip the precarious balance.

Superintendent Harold Remme also noted the downward adjustments are made during the year, although less formally that board members would suggest. Paras assigned to individual students can be laid off, and other paras have been reassigned.

In the end, the board voted to hire the paras, expressing confidence in the administration's judgment, with the informal understanding that the potential for other cuts would be examined.

As a result of Thursday's action, a paraprofessional will be assigned to each of this year's six kindergarten sections, rather than just the sections with the largest number of special-needs students.

Kindergarten sections this year have about 22-23 students each.

The board also:

* approved a testing calendar for the year, with district and state tests scheduled for most months except November, December and March.

* amended, reviewed and repealed policies, to conform with changed state rules, or else to simplify procedures.

In one more notable example, it "uncoupled" procedural forms from policies, so that the administration can change a form without a comprehensive policy review.

* approved assignments for department heads and coaches.