MANCHESTER, N.H. – Manchester School District Superintendent Dr. Jenn Chmiel told the Board of School Committee (BOSC) on Monday night that some elementary schools may require adjustments regarding classroom alignments.
Finalized enrollment numbers for the year are expected to be released soon, as the district adjusts with families entering and leaving the district over the summer, as well as checking in on students who have missed 10 days of school to ascertain if their family still lives in the district.
However, Chmiel told the board that there is currently a potential for concern at Gossler, Jewett, McDonough and Weston Elementary Schools as data indicates that some classrooms in these schools may be above the 20-students-per-class limit for elementary schools dictated in district policy.
If needed, Chmiel said that students could be transferred into different classrooms or even different schools, although this would be seen as a last resort given the disruption that comes from transferring young students from one classroom to another in the middle of the school year.
She added that space utilization issues would also be discussed with SMMA, the district’s management company for its ongoing facilities update plan.
Space used for specialized classes, such as art and music could also potentially be transformed into additional class space at the four elementary schools, with those specials teachers traveling from class to class with carts as another last resort option.
Chmiel also said that there are concerns about space at Hillside Middle School, with Ward 1 BOSC Member Julie Turner expressing concerns she heard from parents regarding the inability to enroll their children into foreign language programs at Hillside due to teacher trained in French or Spanish teachers switching between schools throughout the day.
BOSC Student Representative Fatuma Muhidin of Central also expressed concern that some teachers at Central teachers had six classes per day instead of the recommended four, leading them to be less able to provide extra assistance for students in need of support. She also reported that the teachers being overworked had also impacted the ability of underclassmen to enroll in elective classes.
Chmiel said that work was being done to find teachers for the vacant positions with additional analysis expected on how foreign language programs connect vertically throughout the district’s feeder school systems. She added that while Hillside does appear to have a higher enrollment figure than expected, Parkside and Southside Middle Schools appeared to be within normal enrollment parameters.