College Community considers stimulus hires

Funds from a recent federal education stimulus could allow College Community schools to add nine full-time teaching positions.

The district school board reviewed a draft plan to spend $835,982 allocated to the district by the federal Edujobs bill signed into law in August 2010, during its Monday, Oct. 18, 2010, meeting. The funds are a one-time grant aimed to help schools prevent teacher lay-offs and spur hiring.

Superintendent Richard Whitehead hoped the money could be used to increase the amount of teachers in the district to help reduce class sizes.

“We understand it's difficult to add staff in a down economy,” Whitehead said. “We had a hiring freeze last year, and when you're a growing school district, that is the same as a staff cut.”

The need for more teachers was clarified during a review of the certified enrollment estimates for the district. The count showed an increase of 172 students, with average class sizes in the sixth grade rising to 26.9 students.

Whitehead said additional teachers would help bring the totals down, but could raise concerns about finding space for the additional classes.

Building up staff would be a prudent idea given the district's plans to build a new elementary school during the next decade, according to board President Randy Bauer.

“I think it's a good way to avoid that funding cliff that face a lot of districts, where all you do is push the day of reckoning off,” Bauer said.

Whitehead said he would seek input from the district's principals and revise the hiring plan further.

Prairie High School students had a 23.5 composite ACT score in 2010, according to data presented by Principal Mark Gronemeyer during the meeting. The score exceeds the statewide average of 22.2 and the national average of 21.0.

The board also received a report that a fundraising committee received donations and pledges for more than $300,000 to replace the surface at College Community's sports stadium. The board thanked the committee and planned to discuss the renovations at a future meeting.