þC h i l d r e n g a t h e r a t W i l l i s t o n s R i c k a r d E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l a w a i t i n g t h e e n t r y b e l l t o s t a r t t h e f i r s t d a y o f s c h o o l T h u r s d a y . I t w i l l t a k e a c o u p l e o f d a y s o f s o r t i n g t h e m s e l v e s o u t , b u t t h e k i d s w i l l s o o n h a v e i t d o w n t o a n o r g a n i z e d d r i l l . E a r l e D o d d | W i l l i s t o n H e r a l d
Superintendent Greg McNary said the 210 students enrolled represents an increase of 10 students over August 2007.
“Last year, we had 200. It fluctuates,” he said. “We are getting some oil field workers‘ children. We are anticipating up to 225 students later this year.”
He said some of the oil field workers appear to be building just outside of town and their children are attending District 8 schools.
McNary said the increases don’t mean the classrooms are crowded or that staff hikes are needed. “In fact, we have two less staff than last year,” he said. “We did split up the 30 first graders into two classrooms at Stony Creek Elementary School.”
Districtwide, enrollment numbers from opening day as are follows:
There are 29 or 30 seventh and eighth grades students attending Garden Valley School, 37 K-6 students attending Round Prairie School and 144 K-6 students attending Stony Creek School.
This year is the first year District 8 has grouped all its seventh and eighth graders in one building at Garden Valley.
“We’re excited about the new formulation of the district,” he said. “This will help us prepare our students for high school...We’re looking for a good year.”
He said some parents are concerned, however, about lengthy travel times on the bus.
“The longest one we have is 64 minutes. We don’t have any students traveling two hours one way though,” he said.
McNary also announced the District 8 School School Board accepted the resignation of Danni Lynch during a special Wednesday morning meeting. Lynch was a combined second- and third-grade instructor at Round Prairie School.
McNary said the position will be advertised. In the meantime, the district is using substitute teachers to instruct.
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