CAPE PARENTS TO LINE UP FOR SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS

Kindergarten enrollment figures being gathered next week for Cape Girardeau elementary schools may indicate if youngsters will be transferred from their neighborhood schools.

School officials expect many parents to arrive early at schools, including Alma Schrader and Charles Clippard, in an effort to ensure their children are not transported to other schools.

Enrollment will take place Tuesday at Jefferson and Washington, Wednesday at Charles Clippard and May Greene schools, Thursday at Franklin School and Friday at Alma Schrader.

Richard Bollwerk, director of elementary education for Cape Girardeau public schools, said the district has a cap on kindergarten class size of 25 students

"Once we reach that cap, we need to look to transfer students to another school where would be space available," Bollwerk said. "For the most part we have been able to accommodate most of the kids at their neighborhood schools."

But regularly a few students are transferred from their neighborhood schools to another school with more space. This year, for example, eight kindergarten students were moved from Clippard to Alma Schrader.

"We make that decision based on where the majority of students are," Bollwerk said.

This uncertainty prompts parents at Alma Schrader school to line up early to enroll their children for kindergarten. Clippard parents also might arrive early this year.

Alma Schrader Principal David Giles said, "As always, we'll have PTA folks in the building very early to try to make the wait as pleasant as possible.

"I think parents are concerned that their children attend their home school," said Giles. "This is an attempt by them to at least partially control their child's education."

Giles said, "The school is extremely uncomfortable with what's happening. But no one's come up with an acceptable, better plan."

He said a lottery and some other options have been discussed.

But he said, "First-come, first-serve continues to be the mode of operation.

"I wish there were some more humane and dignified way to treat parents in regards to enrolling their children," Giles said.

The trouble comes if the enrollment is just over the break-off point for class size. Giles said the first break is at 51 students, the second at 76 and the third at 101, Giles said.

"Parents are facing that uncertainty," Giles said.

Bollwerk said, "Even when we say we have capacity for 100, parents fear they would be 101."

The district has 14 sections of kindergarten.

Bollwerk projects the number of kindergarten students based on the number of live births in the county five years ago. "The enrollment projection model has been pretty accurate. This year we were looking at 320 kindergarten students and we had 316. Next year's projection is for 300 or less; 14 sections should be able to handle that."

The early enrollment numbers help school administrators plan for the coming school year.

"We know we don't get every student enrolled during the roundup and we plan for students to enroll later. But this gives us a good idea so we can begin to plan what to do with our staff."

Last month's budget reallocation did not include any kindergarten teachers, but does affect the aides employed to help kindergarten teachers.

The district has employed an aide for every kindergarten teacher, regardless of the class size. Next year, kindergarten classes will have to have enrollment over 23 students before an aide is employed.

Bollwerk said, "When we are cutting the budget, this is one of those luxuries we can't afford."

Enrollment will take place between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day. A child must be 5 years old before July 1 to enroll. Parents should bring a birth certificate and immunization record with them.