Community Corner

Maxed-Out District Adds 4th K-Class to Sandpiper

"This is a good faith attempt to try and solve what is a really difficult situation," said BRSSD board member Brian Matthews

They may be small in stature, but they are mighty in numbers. So mighty in fact, that the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD) has agreed to do some creative scheduling and student-shifting to add a fourth kindergarten classroom to Sandpiper Elementary School.

The unanimous decision Thursday night to make room at the Redwood Shores school for the incoming class of kindergarteners, was made by a board that is under pressure to come up with solutions to the problem of a growing student population, and limited classroom space.

The district’s director of educational services, Jennifer Kollman, made the case for the additional K class in her presentation before a packed audience.

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“Every day we are taking in new enrollees, and we have another enrollment deadline coming up June 14,” said Kollman. 

Kollman explained that 25 kindergarten students who live in the Redwood Shores community were assigned to Nesbit School at the conclusion of the first enrollment period because the enrollment exceeded the 75 student capacity at both Sandpiper and Redwood Shores Elementary Schools. Of these 25 students, four students have withdrawn their enrollment. There are currently 14 kindergarten students from the Redwood Shores community from the second enrollment period who will still need to be assigned to a school.

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“As we analyze this, we caution that this is a one-time solution,” said Kollman, who explained that the students who attend kindergarten at Sandpiper for the 2013-14 school year will stay there through fifth grade.

The additional classroom at the already-at-capacity Sandpiper will require some creative scheduling, said Kollman, including moving special education classroom into the Redwood Shores Community Center on the Sandpiper Campus.

“There will be some challenges to scheduling, but it’s doable,” said Kollman.

The decision please parents, many of whom have been outspoken about the district’s plan to assign Redwood Shores students to Nesbit on the west side of Hwy. 101.

“We are at least now able to maintain that neighborhood school,” said RWS parent Amy Koo, who said that there’s still more work to be done on behalf of the district about school assignments.

“Step two is to look at the wait-list and open-enrollment policies,” added Koo.

Underscoring that the enrollment challenges are district-wide and not limited to just Redwood Shores or Belmont, the board agreed to form a task force to closely examine future solutions to an overburdened district.

BRSSD trustee Brian Matthews emphasized the importance of having representatives from throughout the district on the task force.

“We need everybody contributing ideas, supporting our kids, supporting the initiative and realizing that not everybody gets everything they want.  I  hope we can all come together on this,” said Matthews.

Trustee Andy Stulbarg agreed district unity on both sides of the freeway is key in finding solutions to a basic numbers problem.

“We have more kids than we have spots,”

“It’s our job to make sure every kids has a seat. It makes me sad that this is becoming a Belmont vs. Redwood Shores debate, like it was six or seven years ago,” added Stulbarg.

Interim co-superintendent Nellie Hungerford provided some stunning statistics on district growth.

“We are seeing a 35 percent growth annually in the number of children in our schools,” Hungerford told the board.

“Over a five year period, we will have 3,700 students and no additional funding to accommodate those students. When we talk about the district’s financial issues, it’s all about enrollment growth,” said Hungerford.

To read Jennifer Kollman's staff report, which includes 2013-2014 enrollment projection and assignment summary, click here

 


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