Hillcrest Elementary Principal Tina Fehringer told the American Falls School Board during their meeting on Monday, Jan. 23, that the number of students in the kindergarten class has reached 141.
“It’s creating some challenges,” said Fehringer. “All seven sessions are full.”
The kindergarten employs three full-time teachers who teach half-day sessions, and one part-time teacher who teaches one half-day session.
Compounding the problem is a storage issue created by the removal of the storage building. However, despite piles of boxes in the testing room, the Idaho Reading Indicator tests were given last week and with the exception of one group, students are doing well.
Fehringer said a problem has developed with people pulling their students from school for extended trips to visit family over the Christmas holiday. Often, those extended visits are for five or six weeks, which impacts students. If the students are in kindergarten or first grade, that impact can be severe, according to Fehringer.
She has sent letters and opened up a dialog with parents about the impact on their students that such a prolonged absense can make, and she said she believes in general, parents are taking it into consideration and scheduling their vacations for shorter durations.
American Falls Academy Principal Cliff Hart reported the academy has just ended its third session and has 38 students, inclusive of middle school and high school, with a new student coming into the program. Fourteen of them are scheduled to graduate this year.
The special education program has 118 students with six more being evaluated.
Hart gave kudos to maintenance director John Robinson and his crew for their dedicated service. During a recent Saturday rainstorm, Hart visited his office in the school and found his office flooded.
“The water was just pouring in through my window,” Hart said. “My closed and locked window.”
He said he called Robinson, who worked with his crew through the weekend and had the building dry and ready for classes on Monday.
Superintendent Ron Bolinger told the board there was some discussion on the state level about eliminating the 99 percent protection for school funding.
The 99 percent protection for schools is an insurance against a school losing a significant number of students after the school year has started and teacher contracts have been signed. Since schools are reimbured from the state based on average daily attendance, the loss of students directly impacts funding. However, teachers hired for the year must still be paid, as they have contracts.
The technology proposal for schools has changed its mandate from one-third of Idaho students being given computers to one-third of Idaho high schools being given computers in two years. Bolinger told the board he believed American Falls should be in the first round.
The board had three choices in dealing with the bus bid - place it on hold again, buy both buses that are needed, or just buying one. The buses the district needs are a special needs bus and an 83 passenger bus; of the two, the 83 passenger bus is the most critical. After discussion of the financial outlook with district clerk Dan Wolfley, the board voted to purchase both buses.
Board member Dallas Clinger discussed the proposed personal property tax bill that is being proposed again. He said if the bill passed, it would result in a shortage of $133 million in the state revenue. All taxing districts in most of the counties would be affected, and in order to make up for the shortfall, counties would need to raise property taxes.
The only businesses that would benefit would be big business, according to Clinger, such as Micron and Union Pacific. Small and medium businesses would get a tax break on their personal property, such as computers and desks, but the property tax would be raised to compensate. Depending on the size of a business’ property, this could result in a net loss for the business. Furthermore, Clinger speculated the maximum tax rate could be reached, but wouldn’t be enough to keep all services available, as the maximum fluctuates based on other factors.
“So we would max out on the property tax, and it still wouldn’t be enough,” said board member Kamren Koompin.
“This would be more of a burden on everyone,” said Clinger. “Especially farmers, I suspect.”
According to Bolinger, Governor Butch Otter has projected a two percent decrease in state revenue for the next budget year.
Idaho is discussing a No Child Left Behind accountability waiver. In it, the Average Yearly Progress will change from either proficient or non-proficient to five different levels, including growth, extra courses, ACT and SAT scores, and participation. Dual enrollment classes are included in the extra courses, but some students are unable to take them due to the cost of the classes. There is potential for the government to take over the running of nonperforming schools.
There are no points given for fine arts, which according to Bolinger, has been recognized by the school district as essential for student learning.
The school improvement planning meetings will have a Thursday, March 1, deadline.
Overnight trips for the AFHS Speech and Debate team to Madison High School in Rexburg were approved, and Golden Pride awards were given to three recipients, Kelly Brannock, Terry Stilwell, and Kathy Robertson.
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