Ark Valley News - School growth largest in 25 years

School growth largest in 25 years
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: September 14, 2017

If the numbers hold, the Valley Center school district will experience the biggest jump in enrollment in at least 25 years.

According to the latest enrollment numbers, Valley Center has 83 more students than it did a year ago and could reach a record 3,000 students by the official count day on Sept. 20.

“It's positive for us, not just for financial reasons," Superintendent Cory Gibson said during a school board meeting Sept. 11. “It will ultimately allow us to offer more opportunities for kids."

The next largest increase since 1992 was 81 in 2004.

The district has grown by 23 percent in the past 15 years, from 2,374 in 2002 to 2,956 this year. This will be the sixth straight year there has been an uptick in enrollment. Since 1992, there have been just six years of enrollment decline.

Gibson said the school district is attractive to families.

“It's a testimony to our staff," he said. “... It's a reputation that we have."

The construction of new rental properties in the Ridgefield addition, which is north of Fifth Street and west of Interurban, has brought several new families to Valley Center, and High Ridge, a single-family residential development in Park City, has been growing and attracting young families. The district also is keeping its eye on the pending construction of new multi-family and single-family residences around Walmart at 53rd North and Meridian, which could spur even higher numbers in the future.

According to a tally on Sept. 8, Abilene Elementary saw a 12-student increase, from 295 last year to 308; West a 16-student decrease, from 423 to 407 (a decline attributed to the relocation of the 4-year-old and early childhood development programs to Abilene); Wheatland a 37-student increase, from 347 to 384; the intermediate school a 41-student increase, from 426 to 467; the middle school a three-student decrease, from 455 to 452; and the high school an eight-student increase, from 848 to 856.

“Forty one at the intermediate school; that's a lot of kids," said board President Rhonda Price.

Nearly every grade level has 200 or more students. The only ones that don't are second, 11th and 12th grades. The largest class is ninth grade with 274. The smallest is 11th with 182.

To handle the growth, the district added a teacher at the intermediate school and three elementary teachers as well as additional para-educators.

Gibson said the board may consider additional staffing next spring as it prepares for the 2018-19 school year.

Gibson said the District Office fielded many calls during the weeks leading up to the start of school from out-of-district families wanting to enroll in the district. The district has a limited open enrollment policy, accepting out-of-district students who meet specific requirements.

In other business Sept. 11, the board:

•Learned that a back to school staff barbecue is Sept. 15.

•Accepted gifts of life-saving training equipment worth about $5,000 from American Heart Association, a Buddy Bench to the intermediate school from Girl Scout Troop 40020 and $150 to The Learning Center from New Hope Community Church.

•Approved the donation of 12 cafeteria tables from the intermediate school to the Valley Center Chamber of Commerce and the disposal of flip cameras from the middle school.

•Approved school site council memberships.

•Heard a report on the district's new transportation routing software.

•Heard a report on kindergarten readiness.

•Heard a report on federal and state at-risk funds.

•Learned that the district would be publishing a notice in The News that fulfills a state requirement when budgets include an increase in tax revenue above the consumer price index. The property tax rate to support the district's budget actually decreased for 2017-18.

•Heard a report on ACT scores.

•Approved the purchase of new curriculum for the district's early childhood program — Connect 4 Learning at a cost of $12,878. The program had been using the same curriculum for 11 years.

•Approved bids to construct a concrete bus lane and parking lot on the south side of West Elementary. Cornejo & Sons won the bid for construction and McCullough Excavation will perform the utility work. The total cost of the project is $247,437, and is part of the most recent bond issue.

•Approved the purchase of two 71-passenger buses from Midwest Bus Sales at a cost of $103,313 each.

•Approved a new evaluation tool for head coaches of high school and middle school sports teams. The board liked the evaluation tool, but directed high school athletic director Caleb Smith to include a question that evaluates coaches' ability to balance education and athletics.

•Voted to be a co-partner with a local effort to recognize Vietnam War-era military veterans. Board member Bart Balthazor will be part of the local committee, while Richard Harris will serve as an alternate.

•Met in executive session for 10 minutes to discuss a student matter.

•Accepted a supplemental contract resignation from Jessica Karlowski (concessions manager at the middle school, Aug. 30).

•Approved supplemental contracts for Matt Archer (Science Olympiad at the middle school, $500, Aug. 22) and Ashley Hobart (concessions manager at the middle school, $800, Sept. 15).

•Approved the hiring of Calie Greenwood (instructional aide at the high school, $10.25 per hour, Sept. 6) and Amy Bradley (lunchroom aide at Abilene, $9.05 per hour, Sept. 7).

•Accepted the resignation of Pippa McNay (at-risk aide at the intermediate school, Aug. 15).

•Approved the transfer of Grant Figueroa (from grounds to lead grounds, $11.40 per hour, Aug. 22).

Brad Barbour was not at the meeting. The next regular board meeting will be Oct. 9.