Population growth crowds schools

“I feel like we need to take care of the students who are within the district. Listening to you tonight, we’re at the point, we need to consider where do we draw the line.” Jenny Wood, Board President

From one campus to four in less than two decades, Pea Ridge schools continue to grow. That growth was the topic of discussion among school administrators and School Board members recently as options for meeting the needs of students and staff were considered.

Board members approved the construction of a 2,000-squarefeet building adjacent to the Agriculture building.

“A couple of months back, I spoke to you about a need for addition to agriculture building,” Rick Neal, school superintendent, told board members. “After we developed a welding/fabrication area … the building we constructed at that time was designed to be lab/classroom … was not big enough.”

Neal said agriculture teacher Perry Mason has close to 140 students in the program and teaches from 25 to 30 students at a time in the classroom. The board approved a guaranteed maximum price from C.R. Crawford for $261,910 for the building which will be located on the east side of the existing ag building.

“My hope is to use the student growth funds to pay it off,” Neal told board members, adding that they will be able to pay off land and still have a healthy balance.

Primary School principal Aaron Gaffigan said the biggest need currently is for auxiliary teachers as both his building and the Intermediate School share three auxiliary teachers who serve 894 students each.

“We’re trying to find creative ways to create a schedule and meet the state standard,” Gaffigan said. “That’s a big load on them.”

Intermediate principal Sarah Stokes concurred. “Our squeeze seems to be with auxiliary teaching.”

Stokes said all of the square footage in her building is being used, whereas last year, there was extra space.

Sue Stacey, director of special education, said there are 228 students on individual education plans, and the space is manageable at both the Primary and Intermediate buildings but “bursting at seams” at the Middle and High schools.

“We’re working hard to see if we can stay in our legal requirements,” Stacey said.

At the Middle School, principal Leslie Moline said: “We did utilize every room in our building.” She said “a lot” of the teachers are over their seat count with one seventh-grade teacher having 170 students. She said state guidelines limit that to 150 students.

Matt Wood, High School principal, said there is some crowding but that, thanks to the flex mod schedule, 34 high school teachers are able to use 25 available classrooms. “We do have a couple of teachers over that 150 limit,” he said, adding that there is a need for another teacher, but no place to put them.

“They’ve painted the picture,” Neal said, advising board members to look at the individual

grades’ population numbers and realize that next year, large numbers of students will transition to the other, already crowded, buildings.

“We have a level of concern. We have staffing issues we’re trying to piecemeal together to meet the standards. We have issues to meet space requirements,” he said.

Neal said the flex mod scheduling has provided a significant savings in allowing educators to use space more efficiently.

“We have a significant savings by doing what we’re doing. In the big picture, it’s going to be kind of a band aid.

“With the growth in the city, the number of people attracted to Pea Ridge who are coming in from the outside, there are more than 80 building permits, when those houses are completed, they usually come with kids. We are preparing for next May when we receive partnership funding that will prepare us for the next building,” he said.

Neal said he and other school officials have toured eight schools looking at ways to meet the needs of the district.

“With School Choice, we need to consider whether to cut that spigot off,” Neal said, “but it won’t stop what’s happening in our community.

“I feel like we need to take care of the students who are within the district,” Jenny Wood, board president, said. “Listening to you tonight, we’re at the point, we need to consider where do we draw the line. We can’t draw the line with people building houses here. We’re thankful people are seeing Pea Ridge as a community they want to be in; they’re coming in left and right.”

In other business, the board:

• Created three new positions — kindergarten teacher, fourth-grade teacher and administrative receptionist;

• Hired Jamie Rogers, second-grade teacher; Jennifer Castle, SPED parapro; Reed Smith, half-time Middle School teacher and half-time PRA aide; Sara Claytor, fourth-grade teacher; and Amanda Norwood, food service;

• Transferred Lisa Henry from second grade to kindergarten;

• Accepted student transfers through School Choice into the district; and

• Accepted the resignations of Pamala Guyll and Ashta Snow.