JACKSON SCHOOL BOARD HOPES COLD WEATHER DELAYED

JACKSON -- Jackson School Superintendent Wayne Maupin hopes the weather forecast for above normal temperatures in the area through mid-October is accurate.

That's because the high school's new hot-water boiler for heating classrooms won't be operational until mid-October. On Tuesday, the Jackson Board of Education approved a bid by ANW Refrigeration of Cape Girardeau County to install the boiler.

The board also discussed the district's growing teacher-pupil class-size problem and authorized the sale of adult season passes for junior and senior high-school sports activities this winter.

ANW's bid of $26,746 was the lowest of five bids submitted. The highest was $44,900. Maupin said estimates for purchasing and installing the boiler ranged from $25,000 to $32,000.

"The work will begin at once," said Maupin. "We discussed the project with the contractor and they told us it would take a week to 10 days to install the boiler and make it operational. We feel certain it can be done by Oct. 15."

Maupin said this week's cool weather is not expected to create any problems at the high school. "That building holds heat pretty well," he said. "I don't think anyone has been terribly uncomfortable, and the forecast looks good for the rest of the week."

Maupin said the old boiler was removed last summer after hairline cracks were discovered. He said consultants told the district repairing the boiler would cost as much as replacing it.

The board discussed but took no action on the growing class sizes in the elementary and secondary schools. Maupin gave the board an update on class sizes.

The number of students in any one class determines the teacher-pupil ratio for that class. Districts like to keep the ratio as low as possible because it gives teachers more time to work with their students. But that's usually not possible because of a lack of classroom space and adequate staff.

Said Maupin: "Our class sizes are increasing all the way from kindergarten to 12th grade, which illustrates our need for additional staff. It's (class size) creeping up each year. It's a healthy sign of growth for our district, but it does present a real challenge for us to keep up with our facility and staff needs."

Maupin said the number of students in 12 kindergarten classes this year ranges from 23 to 26. The Missouri Department of Education recommends no more than 20 kindergarten students per class.

The number of students in the 11 first-grade classes ranges from 25 to 26. The state recommends 20 students per class.

There are eleven classes of second grade. Class sizes range from 24 to 26 students while the recommendation is 20 students.

There are 10 classes of third-graders in the district. Class size this year ranges from 26 to 28 students. The state recommends no more than 22 students per class.

The fourth grade has 10 classes. Class sizes range from 24 to 26 students. The state recommends no more than 22 per class.

The size of the 10 classes of fifth graders is about 30 students per class. The state recommends no more than 25 students per class.

In the sixth grade, the size of the 10 classes is about 29 students per class. The state recommends no more than 25 students per class.

Maupin said class sizes for seventh through 12th grades cannot be determined because some classes are half-semester courses while others are full-year courses. The recommended class size at these grade levels is no more than 28 students.

"It's safe to say that in the areas of language arts, social studies, and mathematics many of our grades seven through 12 classes exceed the state's recommendation for class size," said Maupin.

"The point is, we are not looking at bulges in enrollments that create large class sizes in any specific grade level. It's essentially a concern from K through 12.

"Right now our limitation on reducing class size is due to available classroom space. That's the situation now at R.O. Hawkins Junior High School and at West Lane Elementary School. The overcrowding in those schools will be reduced when our new middle school is completed next year," explained Maupin.

"But the bottom line is that we do not have enough money to hire additional staff to meet our growing enrollment and reduce classroom sizes. The board is very concerned about this. They are very sensitive to the problem. They are fully aware that the teacher-pupil ratio is pretty darn high at all grade levels K-12.

"Right now there isn't much that we can do about it, other than make everyone aware of it. It is no surprise to the board, but we wanted to give them some hard numbers of the overcrowding problem in our classrooms."

In other action, the board approved the sale of adult season passes for winter sports activities for junior and senior high school basketball and wrestling. The $25 pass will go on sale late this month in the high school principal's office and will admit both spouses to the events.

"We're going to try the adult season pass this winter to see if there is enough interest," said Maupin. "We've had some limited interest from parents for the passes, and the board is interested in giving it a try. Many schools in our region have adult season passes. We had them at one time but they did not sell very well and we discontinued them. But times have changed, and maybe it's a good thing now."