by Kurt Nesbitt
Contributing Writer
The Elk River Area School District added about six teaching positions at three elementary schools in Rogers and Otsego for the coming school year Monday night.
The additional staff will address class sizes that have spiked due to greater-than-projected enrollment.
The School Board approved the additional staffing to address hot spots at various grade levels at Rogers Elementary School, Prairie View Elementary and Middle School and Otsego Elementary School. The additions represent a total of 5.8 full-time equivalents.
Rogers Elementary will see 1.2 FTE at the kindergarten and fourth-grade levels each. Prairie View will also have 1.2 FTE at the first- and second-grade levels each and .5 FTE – a half-time position – at the kindergarten level. Otsego Elementary will also get a half-time position at the kindergarten level.
The proposal received no discussion from School Board members.
Superintendent Dan Bittman reported earlier in the meeting during his report that resident enrollment continues to grow, which validates the “good work happening throughout the school district.”