Elementary school space issues could be eased in the short term by reworking existing space to create new classrooms, according to discussion at the Mineral Point School Board Monday night.
“We have an interesting problem in Mineral Point,” said operations committee chair Will Harris. “Between open enrollment and people moving here,” numbers are increasing.
How long increasing enrollment will last is not clear, he said.
“We know we have a great staff and a lot of people want to come. We also want to keep class sizes small,” Harris said.
To that end, the board approved posting to hire an additional elementary school teacher. While the second grade will expand to four sections, the posting doesn’t specify a grade to give the district flexibility on staff assignments.
“Supporting this is really supporting the students,” said board president Aaron Dunn. “The bigger the class size, the easier it is for a student to get lost. This ensures every kid can get the attention they need.”
The operations committee also discussed ways to meet community childcare needs.
“The school district is not opening up a childcare center,” but is part of the conversation, said board member Christie Johnston.
A private person is discussing short-term and long-term options and spaces for a potential childcare center with both school and city officials.
“We don’t know what role we will play. We want to keep the ball moving,” Harris said. “There are a lot of moving parts and people involved.”
On another issue, Harris said the district is considering a remodel of the middle school/high school to add to tech ed and ag space to meet demand for students who want to be ready for a career when they graduate.
The project would also connect the ag building to the school.
“This is something we’re looking at. It’s probably a few years out,” and the district seeks community feedback, Harris said.
The board also:
- Accepted the resignation of third grade teacher Courtney Steffes. She is “a phenomenal teacher” who has decided to step away from teaching, at least for now, said Superintendent Mitch Wainwright.
- Hired Seth Schmidt as high school math teacher starting with the new school year. He interned here this semester and “we feel very fortunate” that Schmidt is a good fit, Wainwright said.