LUTHERAN QUILTERS – Members of the Quilts for Comfort Group stand between pews draped with some of the 205 quilts they made, in the Sitka Lutheran Church Tuesday. The group made the quilts for five local non-profits and one in Anchorage. The remaining quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief which  distributes them to places around the world in need, such as Ukraine, as part of Personal Care Kits. Pictured are, from left, Helen Cunningham, Kathleen Brandt,Vicki Swanson, Paulla Hardy, Kim Hunter, Linda Swanson and Sue Fleming.  (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

State's Transportation Plan Gets Federal OK
28 Mar 2024 15:06

By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
    Federal officials on Wednesday approved most of Alaska’s four-y [ ... ]

New Funding Plan Ahead for Visit Sitka?
28 Mar 2024 15:02

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    At an hour-long work session with the Assembly Tuesda [ ... ]

Sitka 'Frankenstein' Puts Classic Tale in New Ligh...
28 Mar 2024 15:01

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
    The story behind a classic, though often misunderstoo [ ... ]

State May Los Millions Over Ed Dept. Missteps
28 Mar 2024 14:59

By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
    The state government risks losing millions of dollars in feder [ ... ]

Gov Signs Bill On Internet In State Schools
28 Mar 2024 14:57

By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
    Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday signed a bill that promise [ ... ]

Capitol Christmas Tree to Come from Tongass
28 Mar 2024 14:56

By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
    Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, known for its steep mountains [ ... ]

City League Games Thursday
28 Mar 2024 14:52

By Sentinel Staff
    Playing Wednesday in competitive division City League volleyball matches, Ca [ ... ]

March 28, 2024, Police Blotter
28 Mar 2024 14:50

Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 27
At 2:36 p.m. a dead  [ ... ]

March 28, 2024, Community Happenings
28 Mar 2024 14:48

This Week in Girls on the Run By Sitkans Against Family Violence
and The Pathways Coalition
During th [ ... ]

New RFP Sought For Managing PAC
27 Mar 2024 14:48

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]

Seiners Get Second Day with 2 Areas to Fish
27 Mar 2024 14:46

By Sentinel Staff
    The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]

Braves Take Second in Last Minute Upset
27 Mar 2024 12:41

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
    After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]

Tuesday City League Volleyball
27 Mar 2024 12:39

By Sentinel Staff
    The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]

Kodiak Alutiiq Museum Getting New Attention
27 Mar 2024 12:37

By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
    A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]

House Hearing on Inmate Deaths Halted
27 Mar 2024 12:35

By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
    A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in  [ ... ]

Nominee to Bering Sea Council: Not a Trawler
27 Mar 2024 12:34

By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
    Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]

March 27, 2024, Police Blotter
27 Mar 2024 12:26

Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]

March 27, 2024, Community Happenings
27 Mar 2024 12:25

Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]

Reassessments Raise Tax Bills for Sitkans
26 Mar 2024 15:22

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]

Two Areas Opened in Herring Fishery Today
26 Mar 2024 15:21

By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]

Lady Wolves Rally to Take Fourth at State
26 Mar 2024 15:16

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
    Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]

Edgecumbe Girls Close Out Season Up North
26 Mar 2024 14:58

By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
    Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]

City League Monday
26 Mar 2024 14:55

By Sentinel Staff
    Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]

House Votes to Broaden Rules For Review Panel Memb...
26 Mar 2024 14:52

By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
    A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday  [ ... ]

Other Articles

Daily Sitka Sentinel

District Expects Bumper Kindergarten Crop

Sentinel Staff Writer

The Sitka School district could be looking at a larger kindergarten class this fall, or at least a more punctual one. 

 

Kindergartners at Baranof Elementary School play on the slide this morning. At their meeting Tuesday the Sitka School Board members discussed enrollment numbers. Next year the district is expecting an unusually large class of kindergartners. Ninety-one students are already registered or expected to be registered to start kindergarten next school year. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

Superintendent Mary Wegner told the School Board at its Tuesday meeting that 91 students are already registered or expected to be registered to start kindergarten next school year.

Typically, the district has around 90 kindergartners, but usually doesn’t hit that number until the beginning of summer. 

“I think we’re going to be looking at a very high kindergarten class,” Wegner said. 

Business manager Cassee Olin said that usually at this time of year only around 50 or 60 kids are registered, so this year’s class is either larger or very good at paperwork. The numbers will factor into the School Board’s upcoming budget process, which will last for the next few months. 

A large portion of the budget is built on student numbers because the state funds schools on a per pupil basis. The School Board is projecting 1,300 students for next year, and at Tuesday’s meeting members amended the number of intensive-needs students to 36, down from a previous estimate of 38. Intensive-needs students are funded at a level 13 times that of a regular student. 

The amended number was recommended by district staff and approved unanimously by the board. 

Another budget tweak the district will have to navigate is the loss of $180,000 in federal funds that subsidize internet and phone service. The federal E-Rate program distributes money to schools to help cover the cost of these services, but the E-Rate Modernization Act is removing telephone services funding. 

In response, the district is moving to a digital system that Wegner said will come before the board at a later meeting. 

“We have been working on an option for a phone system that is significantly cheaper,” Wegner said. 

Schoology

One new system that’s been causing headaches for the district in recent weeks is the Schoology learning management system that allows students and parents to access classroom information online. 

Co-assistant superintendent Phil Burdick gave a presentation on the software at the request of board member Eric Van Cise, who had heard about the problems. Burdick said problems are being resolved after a few weeks in which teachers were unable to enter grades. Sitka High Principal Lyle Sparrowgrove said the high school staff and students have been patient with the changes. 

“There just seem to be some challenges putting all this together and time seems to be the factor,” Sparrowgrove said. 

The switch to Schoology began with a proposal at a technology committee meeting in 2010. 

“This was difficult to get to because, as you can see, this took six years and a lot has happened in six years,” Burdick said. 

Asked if more IT staff would help smooth the transition, Burdick said the extra help is not something the district can afford. 

“We could always use more staff but I hear they cost more money,” he said. 

Van Cise said he recognized the challenges associated with the introduction of any new system.

“I just hope that we’re able to move forward, and it looks like we are,” he said. 

AMP Testing

Despite the move away from the Alaska Measures of Progress testing system by the state Department of Education and state legislators, the Sitka school district is still gearing up for the soon-to-be replaced test. 

“We will continue to amp up for the AMP assessment this spring while advocating for a pause (in standardized testing),” Wegner said. 

Because of funding requirements, the district is still obligated to do administer the AMP test, which is in its second year of use in Alaska. Legislators are looking for an alternative, and Wegner said superintendents are working with lawmakers and the department of education on that. The problem is that state law requires the standardized test be administered, and the penalty for failing to do it would cause the entire district to lose their teaching licenses. 

Additionally, funding to the state and the Sitka school district is tied to administering the test. For Sitka, Wegner said, that amounts to around $1 million. 

The testing window for the AMP test is in April. 

Other business

The board unanimously approved revisions to board policies on concepts and roles, family involvement and crisis response planning. They also changed their board bylaw related to meeting length to more closely resemble the City Assembly policy. 

The change requires meetings to end at 10:30 p.m. unless a majority votes for a half-hour extension. Additional 30-minute extensions would require unanimous consent. The move comes after a stretch of longer-than-normal meetings, including one last month that stretched till nearly 1 a.m. 

 

 

You have no rights to post comments

Login Form

 

20 YEARS AGO

March 2004

Advertisement: Tea-Licious Tea House & Bakery 315 Lincoln Street Grand Opening! Freshly Baked Scones, Cakes & Pastries Innovative Salads, Soups & Sandwiches Harney & Sons Tea. Lunch * Afternoon Tea * Supper.

50 YEARS AGO

March 1974

Photo caption: National Republican Chairman George Bush takes a drink of water offered by Jan Craddick, Sitka delegate, during the Republican convention held here. Mrs. Craddick explained to Bush that the water was from Indian River, which means, according to local legend, that he will return.

Calendar

Local Events

Instagram

Daily Sitka Sentinel on Instagram!

Facebook

Daily Sitka Sentinel on Facebook!