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Board weighs request for first-grade teacher hire

By
Mavis Fodness

Luverne School Board members put hiring on hold last fall due to budget concerns, but Elementary Principal Stacy Gillette is requesting the addition of a first-grade teacher.
She said enrollment in kindergarten through fifth-grade classrooms is averaging 20 to 22 students, and first-grade numbers may exceed the average.
“Right now our first grade numbers are at 89,” she said.
“With five sections that would mean those class sizes would be 17 or 18 in a class. If we held it to four sections that would mean three sections at 22 and one at 23.”
Gillette asked board members where they wanted to see class sizes. If they wanted the smaller class size, an additional elementary teacher would be necessary.
“If you want to move forward with it, I want to look at the applications that came in from the spring posting,” Gillette said.
Earlier this year board members challenged administrators to look at filling an additional first-grade position with current staff before hiring.
Board member Reva Sehr indicated she supported a fifth section for the first grade class, while board chair Jody Bosch thought the numbers were not high enough to warrant an additional section.
“My thought is we want to provide the best educational opportunity for the children and we know that fewer children in the classroom is better,” Sehr said.
Further complicating matters is uncertainty about school attendance during the pandemic. For example, some first-grade parents won’t be sending their children to school for in-person instruction.
Earlier this month, 509 families answered an online survey about returning to school this fall — 7.1 percent indicated their children would not attend in-person classes.
The district-wide survey did not include questions to a specific grade level.
“It would be nice to have a survey if there are families who won’t send (their children to school) due to medical concerns or everything with COVID,” said board member Colleen Deutsch.
“It is hard to make a decision on what to do because we don’t have enough information right now.”
The next board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 27.
First day of school in Luverne is Sept. 8.

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