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Schools

Revenue Increase Allows Elmbrook to Add a Teacher at Burleigh Elementary

School Board approves other budget changes, with hearing and annual meeting scheduled for Sept. 26.

Using money gained by state changes in allowable revenue for the district, the Elmbrook School District approved adding another teacher at to alleviate fifth-grade class sizes Tuesday night.

And while adding a teacher is good news for class sizes, it also delays implementation of a pilot program for multi-age classrooms in the district, something that will be needed in years to come as the district grapples with larger class sizes, according to Superintendent Matt Gibson.

“The future that we’re going into is going to have class sizes that people aren’t going to like. ... And we’re preparing the system for that,” Gibson said.

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However, without adding another teacher, class sizes at the fifth grade level at Burleigh were projected to be 29.3, above district guidelines for class size and too large to run the pilot program, which would have had two split classes of fourth and fifth graders. Projections for the upcoming school year are 98 children in the fifth grade and 124 in fourth grade at the school.

After hearing from Burleigh Principal Bil Zahn, a teacher from the school and a parent on the school’s action committee, the board voted to approve adding the teacher.

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Erin Tabor, a Burleigh parent and member of the school’s action team, asked the board to add the teacher, especially since there was money available.

“I don’t like framing this as either a split or a staff member … but I think the key is, what’s to the benefit of our students? And nobody is going to convince me that class sizes of 30 are better than class sizes of 24 or 25, regardless of how much effort teachers have put into creating the split section,” said Tabor. “I think education happens when the class sizes are smaller.”

In addition to adding the teacher at Burleigh, three full-time equivalent positions were added to the middle school level and another partial full-time equivalent was added at the high school level as the district adjusted its budget.

After the School District budget was approved in June, the state raised the district’s revenue authority, the amount of the money the district is allowed to take in, by $410,000, including a $300,000 increase in state aid and $110,000 in the local tax levy.

The revised budget will be presented to the public at a budget hearing, followed by the annual meeting, Monday, Sept. 26.

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