School News
October 3, 2008
CLASS SIZE REDUCTION GRADE PARENTS
Don Juan Avila Elementary School’s (DJAES) K – 5th grade enrollment exceeds 774 students giving us a teaching staff of 32. When schools plan for the coming year they use the previous year’s grade level student numbers plus the expected growth/loss that has been projected by the district office. The key phrase is “expected growth/loss.” This year DJAES did a great job in planning for this growth however, we are unable to control all variables that come with the growth or loss in enrollment. The variables that are uncontrolled by the school is when families contact the school to enroll or withdraw their child and the grade level of those students.
Now that the dust has settled, and the enrollment has stabilized, all our first and third grade classes have at least 20 students. Furthermore, two of our first grade classes and three of our third grade classes are still exceeding the state limit for Class Size Reduction (CSR) and the mandated 20:1 ratio. Although classes may temporarily exceed 20 pupils without penalty, the legislation mandates that in order to receive funding each class must maintain an average of 20.4 students or less based on a daily average enrollment between September 2 and April 15. Therefore, DJAES has been a closed school to all new students wanting to enroll in grades 1st – 3rd since prior to the first day of school
Classroom adjustments in grades first, second and third must take place before December to remedy the situation. It is my goal to make as little of an adjustment as needed to comply with state mandates for CSR. Therefore, I need your assistance before deciding on a plan to correct the situation. I am asking families to inform the office staff ASAP if you are planning to move and/or withdrawing your first, second or third grade child from DJAES prior to December 1, 2008. This information will be kept confidential however; it will allow me to make adjustments to classes exceeding the 20:1 ratio with little impact on all the classes.
DJAES SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL
Thank you to the four parents who responded to our request to fill the four openings on our School Site Council this year. As there is no need for an election, the parents who will be representing you on our School Site Council are Cindy Anderson, Colleen Del Pizzo, Sue Huffman, Gretchen Scott and Julie Sherwood
