Bond addresses class size reduction and growth

Heights students are backed up against the walls in a pre-trigonometry/ calculus class.

One of the key areas of need that the 2008 bond issue addresses is class size reduction and growth. This plan will add 6 new schools; provide 275 classrooms to address growth, over-crowding, special programs and class size reduction; reconstruct two inadequate buildings; and renovate or expand critical program space. Other key areas the bond issue addresses include: building 60 safe room shelters; supporting the end of forced busing by providing equitable facilities in the AAA area; and renovate or rebuild aging and unsafe physical education, athletic and fine arts facilities. Information on each of these topics will be addressed in upcoming editions of Express. 

There are two significant trends that have led to the current concern of overcrowding. First, growth in certain areas in the city, especially the northeast and southeast areas, has led to major over-crowding in elementary, middle and high schools in these areas. Second, the district has made a significant commitment to class size reduction, which supports increased student achievement. The district has also added programs like all-day kindergarten which has increased the number of classrooms being used across the district.

Heights High School and Stucky Middle School

Thirty-three Stucky Middle School students work together in a Social Studies class

Thirty-four students are in a pre-trigonometry/calculus class, thirty-six students in science classes and there are 43 students in the physics classes. Sixteen teachers working off of utility carts because they don’t have a permanent classroom. Students and staff at Heights High School face this every day because of the housing growth around the northeast Wichita school.

In the pre-trigonometry/calculus class, students' desks are pushed against the walls and some students stand in the back because of lack of space. Michael Kohake, math teacher at Heights, in one of the teachers who moves between classrooms.

"Having so many students in a classroom limits teaching opportunities," Kohake said. "My students are literally sitting elbow to elbow. I can't have small group activities and it limits individualized instruction."

"Many people expect schools to 'just get by'," said principal Bruce Deterding. "But 'good enough' is not good enough. Our students deserve to have the best learning environment possible; and an overcrowded school is not the best environment."

Stucky Middle School, also in the northeast, was constructed five years ago and has been expanded once and is still at capacity. With current housing construction, it's projected that the school will grow 70 to 80 students a year.

"We've been creative with our scheduling to keep most of our class sizes down, but if we keep growing like we have been, we're going to have a mess," said Stucky principal Terrell Davis.

Seltzer Elementary

Fifth-grade students walk into their portable classroom after lunch. Photos by Susan Arensman

Before school started in the fall of 2007, three portables were put in at Seltzer Elementary in southeast Wichita to accommodate the school's growth. Seltzer is growing about 70 students per year.  Three of the school's four fifth-grade classes are now in the portable classrooms.

"It's hard in winter, because we have to take our coats to go inside for lunch, to use the restrooms and to go to other classes," said Erica Rupe, fifth-grade teacher at Seltzer. "The students get scared when the wind picks up or when it rains. It's very noisy and the students don't feel as safe as when they were in the building."

"We've adjusted, but this is not the ideal situation for student learning." Rupe said.

"The panic is that there is no room. The only alternative is to increase class sizes," said Sarah Aschbrenner, kindergarten teacher. "Adding more kids in a classroom makes a huge difference in the time I have to teach each student. And that effects how our students are learning. That's the bottom line."

Linwood Elementary
Growth can be seen in the core areas of Wichita as well. Older families are moving out and younger families are moving into those neighborhoods. Linwood Elementary is one of those schools seeing that change. A rebuilt Linwood opened in 2004, and a new school is a big draw for families with young children.

"I've had several families who are strategically looking for new facilities," said Trina Wynn, Linwood principal.

Linwood has seen steady growth over the past several years. Last school year, the school's ESOL program was moved to Washington Elementary to help ease some of the school's overcrowding. But even after the program was moved, the school still faces space issues: one special education teacher works with kindergarten students in a closet; four special education teachers share a classroom with 40 students at different times throughout the week, one music teacher is on a cart and one music teacher is using what used to be the teacher workroom. The school's conference room has also been converted to a classroom.

There are projections for continued growth for the school. This school year, Linwood has five kindergarten classrooms.

"I don't know how I'll accommodate five classrooms of students all the way up through fifth-grade," Wynn said.

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Why can't you change boundaries to fix overcrowding?
Over-crowding at the schools with the most urgent need can’t simply be addressed by changing neighborhood boundaries. There are several schools in the district where limited classroom space exists, but they are not in the same part of the city as those schools which are over-crowded. Forced busing would need to be implemented to shift student enrollment, transportation costs would increase, and boundaries for schools all across Wichita would need to be changed due to the relationship between elementary and middle schools flowing into high school feeder patterns.

Rather than take a short-term view of the challenge, the district intends to undertake a significant boundary review process at such time as new high schools are under construction. This will need to be done to establish new high school feeder patterns, and will provide a meaningful long-term solution.

More information about the bond issue can be found on the district's website.

It's about our Our Kids, Our Schools, and Our Future!

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Distinguished Classroom Teachers recognized

Front row left: Marcia Williamson, Rebecca Palacio, Kayla Grayson Back row left: Christie Klein, Megan Parsons, Frances Johannsen Photo by Susan Arensman

The Wichita Public Schools recognized the recipients of the 2008 Distinguished Classroom Teacher Awards in their respective categories.

            • Megan Parsons, kindergarten teacher at Jefferson Elementary – New Teacher, Elementary category
            • Frances Johannsen, sixth-grade language arts teacher at Marshall Middle School – New Teacher, Secondary category
            • Rebecca Palacio, first-grade Spanish Language Arts teacher at Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet – Primary Teacher (Pre-K through 2) category
            • Kayla Grayson, fourth-grade teacher at Colvin Elementary – Intermediate (3 through 5) category
            • Christie Klein, math teacher at Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet  – Middle School category
            • Marcia Williamson, autism teacher at East High School – High School category

The six were recognized at the February 25 Board of Education meeting. At the meeting, it was announced that Kayla Grayson and Marcia Williamson will represent the Wichita Public Schools for the prestigious Kansas Teacher of the Year Award. Megan Parsons and Frances Johannsen will represent the district for the Kansas Horizon Award, which honors first-year teachers.

The Distinguished Classroom Teacher Awards program honors outstanding teachers who affect the quality of education in the Wichita Public Schools. Peers, building administrators or parents have nominated each of the recipients. A committee consisting of principals, the assistant superintendents of elementary, middle and high schools and a member of the United Teachers of Wichita selects the final recipients.

To view prior recipients, click here.

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