Referendum FAQ: Why is the school district saying they are out of space?
Griggs County Central has been going through a potential building project process and a common question has been, “how is the building out of space? When I went to school we had enough space, and we had more students than they have now.” This question has multiple answers that lead down different paths, but the quick answer is that education has changed drastically over the last 15-20 years. The way we educate kids, the specific needs of kids, and the requirements public schools must follow to teach kids have all changed drastically.
Additionally, I need to point out that GCC has seen a 12% increase in enrollment over the last few years and community data supports continued growth in the elementary and steady enrollment increases in the future. The district has also added a full-day, five day per week preschool, and kindergarten is a full-day, five day per week program unlike the past.
Here are ten ways that education has changed at Griggs County Central over the last 15-20 years:
- Special Education needs are growing at a rapid pace, requiring classrooms and staff.
- Federal requirements for Title I Program (reading/math instructional support small groups)
- Speech and Language Therapy is growing, needing additional space and staff.
- Physical Therapy and Sensory room space needed for students.
- School paramedic added to staff requiring office space and storage space.
- Addition of a full-day preschool program adding students, staff, and a need for a classroom.
- Expansion to full-day kindergarten compared to part-time in the past.
- Additional space is needed for the technology requirements of a school district.
- Addition of Career Pathway Program and growth of Career and Technical Education.
- Focused on bringing welding, small engines, and other hands-on skills back into the building.
Currently, Griggs County Central has one section per grade level in the elementary with one classroom teacher, but some grade level enrollments are in the mid-20s. There is a possibility in the future that grade levels might have to be split into two sections because enrollment and individual student needs require it. If that were to happen right now, there would be no classroom or lockers for them to use. The elementary is split in the building because of a lack of space with the PreK-3 on one end and grades 4-6 on the complete other end of the building.
Anyone in the community interested in seeing the space crunch for themselves is welcome to call the school to set up a time for me to walk them around and explain the constraints we face at this time. We also invite everyone to come to the public meeting on September 18 at 6:30pm in the school.