Saturday, August 23, 2008

Magdalena sees student increase

T.S. Last El Defensor Chieftain General Manager, tslast@dchieftain.com

Although enrollment has increased at Magdalena Schools, no one is sure what to make of an unusually low number of kindergartners this year.

Elementary school principal Kitty Martin reported at Tuesday night's Magdalena School Board meeting that the count after the first week of school included just 15 kindergartners.

"Every year that I've been principal I haven't had less than 30," said Martin, who's beginning her sixth year as principal.

Martin said she was expecting enough to fill two kindergarten classes this year but now will only have one.

Class sizes in Magdalena generally range in the 30s, and the numbers have been relatively steady from year to year.

Board member Gail Armstrong noted that the small size of the Class of 2021 could have an impact on the school for years to come.

"That means there will be a lot of adjustment being made," she said.

Martin agreed adjustments would have to be made each year until they graduate.

"It's going to impact us. We're going to have to reassign teachers in each grade as they go up," she said.

Martin said she didn't have to reassign teachers this year, which was a good thing because some teachers were worried.

Asked by Armstrong if the low number was just a coincidence, Martin said she didn't know how to account for the anomaly. This year's first-grade class has 35 students, and she noted that the pre-school enrollment was full, at more than 30, and there's now a waiting list.

Martin added that she's tried to seek out the parents of potential kindergartners in the community. "I just don't think they're out there," she said.

While the low number of kindergartners was a concern, increased enrollment at the high school made up the difference.

"Because we projected 30 kindergartners," he said, "it's good that we had 40 materialize at the high school."

That's good news, because much of the state funding of schools is dependent on enrollment.

Regina Lane, the mid-high school principal, said she was surprised by the 17 percent increase at the mid-high school. The count in grades six through 12 reached 246 this week.

"I didn't expect this number," she said. "Last year it leveled off at 210."

Lane said new enrollments were coming from all over — some from Alamo, some from Socorro and some who have been home-schooled.

Lane said she's had to turn some away. Chambers added that they were no longer accepting student transfers from Socorro.

In an interview the next day, Lane attributed the increase to several factors.

Earning a bronze rating as one of "America's Best High Schools" by U.S. News and World Report earlier this summer certainly didn't hurt. She said several parents said they were prompted to inquire by the article.

The credit recovery program, which allows students in danger of not graduating to earn required credits, is appealing to prospective students.

"Some are taking advantage of that flexibility. It's the kind of program where students will graduate on track," she said.

Lane said home-schoolers and students from Alamo were attracted by atmosphere at the school and parents felt comfortable sending their kids to the school.

"They felt that Magdalena Schools was a more structured environment. They like the programs that work with the individual child — that target the individual needs," she said.

Lane said there's an emphasis on connecting adults with children at Magdalena Schools, and she credited her staff for carrying out the directive.

"The teachers in the classroom make the difference," she said.

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