District 88 enrollment

declines 108 students

By RACHEL WEDDIG

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- District 88 Superintendent Harold Remme presented enrollment and salary information during the school board meeting Thursday night.

The district has 108 fewer students this year than last year. It currently spends $10.2 million on salaries for all personnel from the district's general fund.

Jefferson employs 45 teachers, Washington 33 teachers, Middle School 27 teachers and Senior High 59 teachers, but not all these teachers are full-time employees.

Figures showed declining enrollment from September of 2000.

The number of students from each school are: Jefferson, 563, a decrease of 39; Washington, 532, a decrease of 31; Middle School, 431, a decrease of 18; and the Senior High, 929, a decrease of 20, for a total of 108 less students this year.

"The number of pupils you serve determines how many dollars of revenue come in," Remme said. "The state dedicated more dollars to education, but you have to look at where the money went. The dollars follow the students -- the schools with increasing enrollments get the majority of the dollars."

Remme reported that the district spends $588 dollars less than the state average in per pupil unit, and the district will still be below the state average if the district's operating referendum passes in November.

"Not are we only financially efficient, but the product were turning out is excellent," Remme said. "When looking at test scores our students are above the state average so we need to feel good with what's happening in the classrooms, but I'm concerned with this year because of the increased class sizes. That's what makes the difference -- how much individual attention students get."

Remme reported on the class sections for the school year. He reported that currently Jefferson doesn't have any class sections with more than 30 students; Washington has four class sections with 30 students and two class sections with 31 students; and the Middle School has 65 class sections with 30 or more students that means 64 percent of the class sections in the middle school have 30 or more students. No information was available yet for the high school.

Remme said these are very significant numbers. Due to budget constraints, the district eliminated 22 teaching positions for the school year.

Remme reported that Jefferson, Washington and the Middle School only have one counselor, and the high school has two counselors.

Curriculum Director Bill Sprung said national and state standards recommend that one counselor should be provided for every 250 students. Currently the district has one counselor for every 450 students.

Parent survey

Sprung presented the results from the second parent survey mailed to every family with students in the district during the end of last year. A similar survey was done in 1999.

Sprung said the surveys had a 30-40 percent return rate. The surveys are designed to measure the progress in the schools in four different areas.

When parents were asked the general question if they were satisfied with the education their child is getting in the district, 92 percent approved.

The district saw many percentage increases in different questions pertaining to their satisfaction with the district.

When parents were asked if they felt their child is regularly assigned homework related to classroom lessons, 89 percent agreed, a 5 percent increase from 1999.

Eighty-two percent of parents felt they were informed about what is happening in school, an increase of 5 percent from 1999.

Ninety-three percent of parents said their child feels safe in school, an increase of 6 percent from 1999.

Ninety-two percent of parents feel school employees care about their children and treat them as an individual, an increase of 4 percent from 1999, and 86 percent of parents feel teachers are willing to spend extra time with their student, an increase of 6 percent from 1999.

"These are exceptional numbers -- if this was my business I'd be happy with the results," said School Board member Mark Wiger. "I give credit to the board for showing an interest to do a survey and fabulous credit to the administration for providing leadership and providing results. The staff is going above and beyond the results."

Freshmen transition

In other notes, Remme reported that initial feedback from the freshmen transition plan is going well.

Only kindergartners through ninth-graders reported to school on Sept. 4 because the freshmen participated in a number of workshops during the day to get acquainted with the high school. Only four freshmen out of 231 weren't using planners that were handed out on the first day of school designed to help them organize their schedules and keep track of homework.