An increase of 90 students in Durango School District 9-R is a relief to a district that has been running at a deficit and pulling from reserves for the last two years.
The increase in students will bring in an additional $189,000, Superintendent Dan Snowberger said.
“Clearly, our community is growing,” Snowberger said after meeting with heads of school last week. “Not only are we up about 90 students, but the charter schools are maintaining their enrollment, and many private schools are seeing record enrollments.”
When the Durango school board does its January budget revisions, that money may go back in the reserve fund or help cover areas where the district incurred unforeseen expenses this year.
“With the start of the school year, we had a number of high-needs individuals who came into the district, and we had to hire teacher’s aides,” Snowberger said. “If their individual education plan requires one-on-one support, we have to do that.”
The number of kindergarten students also rose, from 350 in 2014 to 397 this year. The state reimburses 9-R for only five-eighths of a day for kindergarten. The district pulls money from its first through 12th-grade funding to pay for the additional kindergarten class time, so it’s an added expense, Snowberger said.
“It’s good for the future, when they move into 1-12,” he said, “Two years ago, we had another big kindergarten class and had to add three or four kindergarten teachers.”
The district has several kindergarten classes with 24 to 25 students this year, and each of those classes has a teacher’s aide for support. None of the in-town elementary schools – Needham, Riverview and Park – have space to open an additional classroom if needed.
“Twenty five is not high for the state of Colorado,” Snowberger said. “But it’s culture shock for Durango, where we’ve been fortunate to keep kindergarten class sizes smaller.”
Because of the increase and lack of space to expand, the district has had to close open enrollment in some grades at some schools. Open enrollment allows students from outside a school’s boundaries or even outside the school district to attend the school of their choice.
“A lot of parents who work in town like to have their children in town,” Snowberger said. “There were a number of families where we were unable to honor their request for school choice. It’s not the philosophy of the district, we’re in favor of choice.”
One strategy might be to add modular classrooms.
“People say that would be great, but not for their child,” Snowberger said. “Juniper School (a new elementary school charter opening in September 2016) will provide some relief, and by February, the board will be deciding whether to go for a mill levy (increase) or bond, and that could include new classrooms.”
abutler@durangoherald.com
