SAD 27 discusses consolidating sixth graders

SAD 27/Wallagrass - During the recent school board meeting at the Wallagrass Elementary School, the school board discussed the need for moving sixth graders from outlying schools into Valley Rivers Middle School. In Eagle Lake, five students will be in sixth grade next year, and 13 students will be in sixth grade in Wallagrass.

School board chair Barry Ouellette said, "It's hard to justify one teacher for five kids."

If both the Eagle Lake sixth graders and the Wallagrass sixth graders move to VRMS, said Ouellette, the resulting 18 students justifies the expense of another teacher in Fort Kent.

Ouellette also addressed potential Wallagrass parent's concerns which might arise in the wake of the discussion about moving the sixth grades, saying the school board is not going to close a school that is full.

SAD 27 Superintendent Tim Doak said parents who are interested in moving their kids to a different school have until May 15 to apply for the transfer for their child. He said in the past, the school district had allowed the application for transfer until the end of the school year last year and it "plays havoc with the teachers," so an earlier deadline will be implemented this year.

The board agreed to schedule an informative meeting with parents in Eagle Lake before the next school board meeting on March 8. The school board will hold the informational meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 29 at 6 p.m. in Eagle Lake.

An audience member asked whether VRMS would have the space for the additional students. Doak explained that a large class will be moving to the eighth grade and this will free up some space for the new students in VRMS. He said the class is large enough that after the students move on to the junior high school, VRMS would still have slightly fewer students than they currently do even with the addition of 18 students from Wallagrass and Eagle Lake.

An audience member questioned whether the school would be able to support the numbers of students in any upcoming large classes, if the sixth graders from Wallagrass and Eagle Lake are moved into VRMS.

Principal Stevens responded and said there was only one more year with a large incoming class. He said the school could adjust which class gets the extra teacher as that class moves through the school system.