Sixth-grade exit challenges elementary school budgets

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

The transition to a new grade configuration in Poudre School District is more complicated than it looks on the surface, with some teachers competing for jobs and paraprofessionals losing hours of work.

This fall, PSD will change to a format of K-5 elementary, 6-8 middle school and 9-12 high school.

As Cache La Poudre Elementary Principal Steve Schiola noted, the only change that's obvious to the public is that elementary schools are losing sixth-grade teachers. However, the impact is much more involved.

While overall funding for K-12 schools will not change this year, the money is being shuffled to different schools within PSD. Budgeting for each school is based on student numbers, and elementary school enrollment will be lower with the loss of sixth-graders.

Some schools are harder hit by the shift than others. At several elementary schools, lower budgets affect the number of paraprofessionals on staff and the number of specials that can be offered.

At all elementary schools, lower budgets mean that they have to be more careful about expenses like classroom materials and copying. Textbooks are not affected by the budget cuts, since they come out of a central district budget.

Teachers who until now taught sixth or ninth grade have also been caught in a squeeze. Some have changed the grades they teach in order to stay at their current schools, while others have moved to a middle school or high school. To make a move, however, these teachers had to apply and compete with other applicants for positions at the new schools.

At the elementary level, Cache La Poudre Elementary is impacted most by the configuration change. The school's enrollment has already been dropping for several years because there's no development happening in or around LaPorte. Families are getting older, so there are fewer elementary-age children in the community.

The lower budget at CLPE, where enrollment is going from 371 this year to 298 next year, translates to larger class sizes and fewer specialists.

CLPE is losing a full-time special education teacher as well as three paras.

In addition, specials including art, music, physical education and media are being reduced from four days per week to three days. The specials teachers will be cut to 60 percent of full-time, meaning that they will lose benefits unless they can find part-time positions at other schools. And, a Title I teacher has been cut from 70 percent of full-time to 40 percent.

In addition, the third grade and fifth grade classes next year will have two sections instead of three, creating larger classes.

"It's challenging," Schiola said, because when a school drops to a certain size it looks less attractive to parents.

The mountain schools of Livermore, Stove Prairie and Red Feather Lakes are going from 153 students this year to 126 next year, said Principal Patrick Kind.

The schools will lose some paras as a result, with Livermore losing three and Stove Prairie losing one. Each school will have three teachers next year, with each teaching two grades. The grade combinations will be K-1, 2-3 and 4-5. Until now, the kindergarten classes have been separate instead of combined with first grade.

At Wellington elementary schools, Eyestone and Rice, the picture is rosier. Eyestone has been overcrowded, so going from 525 students this year to 483 next year is a good thing, according to Principal David Sobson. The school is losing part of a para position and would have had to lay off a first-year teacher, but she opted to take time off from teaching.

Sobson noted that school enrollment of 450 and above can support a full specials program, with good class size and adequate classified staff.

Rice Elementary is going from 325 to 310 students next year. The school had to cut one and one-half para positions, according to Principal Karen Koehn. Specials teachers were dropped from 70 percent of full-time work to 60 percent. Like the CLPE specials teachers, they will no longer be eligible for benefits.

At both Eyestone and Rice, the incoming kindergarten classes are bigger than the outgoing sixth-grade classes, and that's helping to keep numbers up.

"We pretty well weathered the storm," said Sobson.

Koehn pointed out that Wellington has not been growing because of the economic downturn, but the community has many younger families and that helps class sizes.

Tavelli and Irish elementary schools will also see little impact. Tavelli was one of the largest elementary schools in the district, with 640 students this year. Enrollment will go to 540 next year, but that's still a good-sized school so the budget will remain healthy. No para positions will be lost and there's no impact on specials, said Principal Dan Lawler.

Irish goes from 370 students this year to 328 next year, but the school receives extra money from the district because of high-need students.

The budget impact is "less painful than we thought it would be," according to Principal Guillermo Medina. Irish will keep its paras and specials, and the specials teachers will also do math interventions with students.

At Irish there are some benefits derived from the sixth-grade exit. The early childhood program will move into the main school building, and some mentoring services will also be housed at Irish.

It's been a challenging year for schools and teachers. Next fall there will be additional challenges, as schools adjust to new grade combinations, new students and new needs.