Superior school district IR announces increased enrollment

At 365 square miles, Indian River is Delaware’s largest school district geographically, but enrollment is increasing, too. At the IRSD school board meeting Oct. 24, the district announced an enrollment of 8,871 students, which is an increase of 85 students since last school year.

Gary Brittingham said the district generally grows by 80 to 100 students annually, and that rate was even higher before economic downturn.

More students means IR may have an additional 20 teaching units this year, for a total of 621 state-funded jobs. The district may also be entitled to extra administrative staff.

Indian River will probably hire additional staff in November, after the state approves official unit counts, officials said.

Although many students move in and out of the district, the class sizes generally remain the same. For example, if there are 700 kindergarteners now, there will likely be 700 fifth grade students in five years. There is some fluctuation in sixth and ninth grade, when students have an option to attend local schools outside the district, officials noted.

Also on Oct. 24, Superintendent Susan Bunting announced that Indian River had been named a Superior School District for the first time. The announcement culminated a year of scholastic success for the district, which Bunting shared with the board.

The presentation highlighted district goals and successes. In math, science and reading, IR students ranked in the top four districts for each category and grade level. All 14 district schools were named superior in Delaware. Long Neck Elementary earned the district’s seventh National Blue Ribbon School award in 11 years. Bunting said it is unusual for a district to earn so many.

IRSD’s goals reflect Delaware’s Race to the Top goals and Common Core Standards, so many additional resources were available, in the areas of teacher training, support to lesser-performing schools, parent/community engagement, technology and data systems.

Plus, the district ended the fiscal year with a substantial carryover.

Full-day kindergarten

The school board is set to discuss full-day kindergarten on Wednesday, Nov. 2., in executive session. Indian River is the only district in the state with a waiver from the state mandate to offer full-day kindergarten.

Teacher and parent Teresa Luzier addressed the board ahead of the Nov. 2 meeting, in support of full-day kindergarten.

She said kindergarteners have a huge range of abilities, from numbers and letters to basic math and reading, but the incoming Common Core Standards will require them to know more.

“We need time to get the kids caught up, but we also need time to work with kids that are excelling,” Luzier said.

Despite the district’s high achievement and her own involvement in teaching her children at home, Luzier noted that not every parent is an educator.

She cited the University of Delaware’s report that “students in full-day kindergarten have higher literacy skills than part-day kindergarten.”

“Instead of putting our effort into having another waiver, let’s put our efforts into finding solutions to having full-day kindergarten,” Luzier said.

“We need to educate the public,” she added. “We’re behind the times, and therefore our children are behind the times.”

In other district news from the Oct. 24 meeting:

• The second reading of JG Student Policy was approved, which, if passed, would allow some students to keep emergency medications on their person at school.

• Board Member Donald Hattier thanked and commended the Sussex Central JROTC for their assistance and professionalism at the Wings and Wheels event hosted by historical reenactment groups, of which he is a member.

• Lesia Jones was named district Title IX coordinator and 504 coordinator. John Eckrich will be ADA coordinator.

• There will be no school Thursday, Nov. 10, for teacher in-service, and Friday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day.

The board’s meeting agendas and supporting documents can be found online at www.boarddocs.com/de/irsd/Board.nsf/Public.

The next IRSD Board of Education meeting will be Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. at Indian River High School.