By Kevin Boneske
Staff writer
DE PERE – Unless guaranteed by school board policy, students who don’t live in the West De Pere School District won’t be able to attend classes there under open enrollment in 2019-20.
Based on class size limits, student-teacher ratios and enrollment projections for the next school year, board members unanimously decided Thursday, Jan. 17, to not accept any new open enrollment students in grades 4K-12.
The board’s motion applies to both regular education and special education open enrollment students.
Superintendent John Zegers made reference to enrollment projections showing the number of students exceeding capacities throughout the grades.
“This year is no different than the past four where capacities and our growth don’t meet, so the fact of the matter is we’re closed in regard to open enrollment, for the most part,” Zegers said.
Though the district is in the process of expanding its school facilities following the passage of two referendum questions last November, Zegers said at this point there are no spaces available to accept open enrollment students.
Staffing
In other action, the board handled a series of staffing issues that included:
• Accepting the resignation of Mary Ann Jones as a special education aide at the high school.
• Approving three transfers with Jodi Kerscher coming from Hemlock Creek to be a district office aide; Karen Van Deurzen going from an instructional aide at Hemlock Creek to replace Kerscher as a clerical aide; and Tracy Baumgart coming from the middle school for a food service position.
• Approving four staffing assignments with Jennifer Clark and Rose Coenen going into food service positions; Christy Castelic being assigned as a temporary instructional aide at Hemlock Creek for the remainder of the 2018-19 school year; and Nicole Glaeser being a third-grade substitute teacher at Hemlock Creek.