Capacity limits set per elementary grade level

September 7, 2016

Capacity limits set per elementary grade level

The school board as approved limits on how many students can transfer to the county’s three elementary schools.

Setting a limit was required by state law, but it could also help fix unbalanced enrollment among the three schools, eventually.

Class size limits for the 2017-18 school year from kindergarten through fourth grade range from 25 to 27 students per teacher at each elementary. Van Buren and Helmsburg elementaries have two classes of each grade; Sprunica Elementary has three classes of kindergartners and third-graders.

Starting next school year, a student from outside the Brown County Schools district will not be able to transfer into a grade level that has hit its capacity limit unless that student is a sibling of a current student at that school or a child of a school employee, said Superintendent Laura Hammack.

All in-district transfer requests will be honored if the capacity at the preferred school has not been reached, Hammack said.

Last school year, the board considered moving district lines to reduce the large number of students at Sprunica compared to Helmsburg and Van Buren, but decided against it.

Families interested in transferring into the district will be required to pick up an application at the district’s central office. The application includes questions about the child’s discipline record, like if in the past 12 months the child been suspended or expelled for possessing a firearm, deadly weapon or destructive device.

The district is not allowed to ask the family about the student’s grades or attendance record, Hammack said.

Extracurricular event pricing, worker pay raised

Ticket prices are going up to attend freshman, junior high and intermediate school sporting events.

Parents and students will now be charged $4 to attend freshman games. The cost was $3.

For events at the junior high and intermediate schools, adults will pay $4 to attend, but the $1 student rate will remain, Superintendent Laura Hammack said.

The total cost for families to attend an event at either school will be no more than $10, Hammack said.

The school board also established pay rates for people who work sporting events. An adult extra-curricular event worker will earn $25 per event. If the event lasts more than three hours, the rate is $45, and $65 if it lasts more than six hours.

Students will also be encouraged to work these events and the board also established pay rates for them. The flat rate will be $15 for students. If the event lasts more than three hours, students will be paid $25, and $35 if it lasts more than six hours.

School board approves personnel, policy changes

The Brown County School Board of Trustees approved the following Aug. 18:

Appointing Michelle Cooper to serve as the school board’s attorney.
Accepting donated items from former superintendent David Shaffer valued at $355. They include various history books, a NFL autographed veteran players football and a copy of the Declaration of Independence.
Accepting a $1,000 donation from the Brown County High School Alumni to Brown County High School.
Approving a $650,000 general obligation bond resolution to buy new buses.
Approving changes to the Brown County Career Resource Center bylaws. Steering committee membership will now include one representative appointed by the school district and four community members; previously, the steering committee had at least one appointed member by the Brown County Community Foundation and three community members along with the district’s representative.
Separating Brown County Schools computer technician James Mullen, effective Aug. 15. This was not a termination.
Separating Brown County Schools bus monitor Barbara Brock, effective Aug. 8. This was not a termination.
Separating Sprunica Elementary School after-school care assistant Molly Snyder, effective Aug. 11. This was not a termination.
Separating BCIS paraprofessional Misty Burns, effective Aug. 12. This was not a termination.
Appointing Van Buren Elementary School paraprofessional Shannon O’Hara, full-time with benefits, $8.86 per hour, effective Aug. 9.
Appointing BCIS fifth-grade boys basketball coach Justin Dodd, $993 stipend, effective Aug. 11. He is a replacement for Ryan Oliver, who was appointed sixth-grade girls basketball coach, $933 stipend, effective Aug. 11. Oliver is a replacement for Eric Fohl.
Transferring BCHS job coach Carolyn Jackson to CRC job coach, full-time with benefits, $10.55 per hour 6.5 hours per day, effective Aug. 8.
Transferring SES Title I paraprofessional Nikki Griggs to preschool paraprofessional, part-time with no benefits, $9.89 per hour, effective Aug. 8. She is a replacement for Susi Hoskins.
Transferring VBE Title I paraprofessional Emily Roberts to SES Title I paraprofessional, part-time with no benefits, $8.86 per hour. She is a replacement for Abby Alderdice.
Transferring BCHS cafeteria staff Linda Hawkins to full-time with benefits, $8.65 per hour, effective Aug. 10. She is a replacement for Vickey Hendershot, who was transferred to BCHS cafeteria manager, full-time with benefits, $12.72 per hour. Hendershot was a replacement for Paula Waterman.
Transferring BCHS special education teacher Kathleen Mulryan-Miller to BCIS special education teacher, full-time with benefits, $37,329 per year, level B-4, effective Aug. 16.