Carbon School District will be holding it’s usual Kindergarten roundup for various schools in April, but the circumstances this year will not be so usual.
“After the roundup last year we had a lot of parents request boundary changes for their students,” said Carbon School District Superintendent Steve Carlsen. “That makes it difficult to predict what our kindergarten classes will look like for the coming school year. And that is a problem.”
The problem is twofold: The actual physical room in any particular school to house students and having enough teachers to teach those classes.
Carlsen gave the example of Castle Heights Elementary when school started last fall. At the roundup last spring the district had the number of kindergarten students for the school numbered at 68. By the time school started, with move-ins and those who wanted their students to attend that school, but were within the boundary of another elementary school, that number was at 82. That was another entire class of students added to the school.
“The biggest part of the problem is recruiting teachers who are qualified to teach those students,” said Carlsen. “It is very hard to recruit teachers as it is, and to have to do it at that late date is almost impossible. There are just not any available to hire.”
He said that some of the changes people want to make come about because of day care issues available in various school boundaries. He said he understands and has empathy for that, but asks parents to come to the Kindergarten Roundup so they and the school district can plan appropriately.
“Because of the problem last year we are going to put a hard cap on the enrollment for kindergarten at some of the elementary schools,” he said.
Parents must also be aware of immunization requirements for children entering kindergarten.
The Kindergarten Roundup will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the following dates and places.
•April 4, 2016 Wellington Elementary, 250 West 200 North, Wellington.
•April 5, 2016 Creekview Elementary 590 West 500 South, Price.
•April 6, 2016 Sally Mauro Elementary 20 2nd Avenue, Helper.
•April 7, 2016 Bruin Point Elementary, 100 Viking Blvd. Sunnyside.
•April 8, 2016 Castle Heights Elementary 750 North Homestead Blvd. Price.
Again, parents of kindergarten age children are urged to attend the session for the school in their area. Questions about the roundup, the requirements or school boundaries for future kindergarteners can be answered by calling 435 637-1732.
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