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School district action will aid third-graders

By Staff | Oct 2, 2002

A headcount taken recently confirmed what Tonganoxie school district officials already knew: Enrollment is up in Tonganoxie.

And at the third-grade level, the enrollment increase is more than apparent, where up to 26 youngsters have been crowded into classrooms.

District officials, once they were aware how many students were enrolled in third grade, put their heads together and decided to ask the Tonganoxie school board to approve another teacher. And school board members agreed.

The move will cost the district about $40,000. But it’s $40,000 well-spent.

And the 30 or so additional students who have enrolled at the elementary school will mean about $150,000 more in state aid for the Tonganoxie district.

District officials and the school board deserve credit for recognizing a problem at the third-grade level and reacting to it by hiring another teacher to reduce class sizes.

This sends a strong, positive message to school children, their parents and patrons of the district: Tonganoxie is committed to excellence in education. And it’s difficult for children to hone their reading skills let alone attain excellence in a third-grade classroom that’s packed.

Even though the new classroom won’t form for several more days, once it does, the remainder of the school year will be smoother for all third-graders and their teachers.