By Angela Marshall
Some parents were disappointed that the budget included only one grade of foreign language at the elementary level. The parents attended several board meetings requesting the district provide foreign language in two grades, kindergarten and fifth. Monday they presented the board with a letter containing the names of 400 residents asking the board to reconsider.
While the board and administration supports the implementation of foreign language in the elementary school, they said they could not commit to the program long term because of budget concerns. They decided to begin it in fifth grade, reasoning that if they started in kindergarten they would be expected to add teachers to support the program every year. By starting in fifth grade, the board can choose to expand the program or not, without discontinuing lessons for children who have already begun the classes. The fifth-grade program is expected to cost about $60,000.
The district is also adding $40,000 for the implementation of a literacy program at the elementary level and $111,000 for home-zoned inclusion. The administration plans to increase the number of special education students who receive their education in their neighborhood school as opposed to the district's core program at Wilson School.
Additional staffing at the high school and elementary schools due to increasing enrollment is budgeted at $324,000 for 5.4 full-time equivalent teachers. The district allocated $48,000 for academic support staffing at the middle school.
In order to meet state standards, the district plans to add part-time Reading Recovery teachers at both Wilson and Covert, which is expected to cost $60,000.
The school district also plans to add an additional district-wide social worker at $60,000 and a custodian at the middle school for $35,000.
Middle school sports will also see a budget increase. The district plans to develop additional lacrosse teams, one boys and one girls, for about $14,000.
The district's preliminary budget hearing will be held at South Side High School at 8:30 p.m. on April 23.
