MIDDLETOWN — The Middletown Unified School District Board of Trustees approved a plan to add new teaching positions to address increased enrollment Wednesday night at its second meeting of the month.
Superintendent Korby Olson put the item on the agenda after attendance in the district exceeded estimates. The district had been planning for a population of 1,611 students for the beginning of the school year, which began on Aug. 16 throughout the district. Enrollment currently stands at 1,653 students.
Olson prepared a sheet showing a breakdown of the district population grade-by-grade. Enrollment had increased significantly at Middletown High School (MHS). Enrollment at MHS stands at 485 students, an increase of 39 students from last year”s enrollment of 446. At Cobb Mountain Elementary, enrollment was expected to decrease but had stayed the same, necessitating a position.
Olson has worked with MHS Principal Bill Roderick and MHS staff to come up with possible solutions to accommodate the rise in enrollment. Olson said it is more complicated to fix issues related to increased enrollment at MHS than at the elementary schools in the district.
Olson proposed a temporary fix of buying out instructor prep time at MHS to get teachers in classrooms. Olson also proposed a permanent fix in hiring up to 2.5 instructors for the district, two full-time and one half-time. Roderick said he could work with the temporary fix but said he needed a secure fix in a long-term instructor.
Roderick said hiring an instructor for MHS would give him and his staff the flexibility to move some teachers around and balance out class sizes. Olson recommended to the board it authorize the hiring of up to 2.5 instructors to accommodate the entire district.
The board unanimously approved authorizing Olson to hire up to 2.5 instructors to balance out enrollment.
Olson said the district plans to hire a social studies instructor and buy out some prep time at MHS to increase elective offerings. The other 1.5 positions will be filled at Cobb Mountain Elementary and Minnie Cannon Elementary.
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14.
