MONROE — In what members referred to as one of the hardest decisions they have had to make, the Monroe School Board voted to reduce class sections to accommodate funding for a new English Language Learner staff member.

The change results in a reduction of three second-grade class sections into two at Parkside Elementary School. It shifts a smaller class into fewer total sections in order to not replace a retiring fourth-grade teacher from Abraham Lincoln Elementary School. 

Without the expense of the teacher, the district can afford to pay an English Language Learner instead, which some staff and administration have said is desperately needed to address learning gaps for students.

While board members like Nikki Matley, Cheryl McGuire and Teresa Keehn agreed to hiring a new ELL teacher as part of a unanimous vote, they disagreed with disrupting students’ learning for the sake of a financially stable decision. Matley, who joined the meeting via phone, said the method felt “like a knee-jerk reaction” to an issue which could change in the near future.

“I feel like we need to be pouring into these kids, not taking away from them,” Matley said.

The members’ primary concern is the increase in class sizes, which District Administrator Rick Waski said would go up to no more than 23.5 in each section. 

Member Mary Berger said she understands it is a complex issue, which has a number of facets that will affect educators and students. The number of students to become second-graders in the 2019-20 school year is the lowest within a districtwide class. 

Keehn acknowledged the raise in numbers may seem small, but cited a grouping of studies which reaffirms her belief that the learning process should not be adjusted in such a way that means the students will be disadvantaged because a teacher unaccustomed to the role will have to teach a grade they had not been previously instructing.

“You don’t get to redo second grade because your teacher is learning second grade,” Keehn said. “You get one chance at second grade.”  

She agreed the decision needed to be fiscally responsible. Matley echoed Keehn’s sentiment of support toward administrative staff like Waski and Business Administrator Ron Olson, but said in the end, the children’s learning process was most important. 

McGuire noted that there is currently a committee meant to evaluate whether the district should consolidate three elementary school buildings into two and said the decision may be too quick given changes in the future. However, fellow board member Dan Bartholf noted any changes as a result of those discussions would be at least four years into the future.

Olson said the unfortunate consequence of declining enrollment means that the district will likely have to continue similar talks in the future, cutting from one area to accommodate a need in another. He said staff reductions over time would be preferable to losing a number of teachers at once if funding continues to decrease.

Kelly Knox, a second-grade teacher at Parkside Elementary, was invited to provide input on the issue. She said the change will affect students and teachers, and that an increase in class sizes “does have a strong impact on the student-teacher relationship.” Knox said educational needs vary greatly, even within a class of children the same age, because learning levels can be fairly different.

Parkside Elementary Principal Todd Paradis referenced a change in staffing that affected his school seven years ago. He said it was a challenge to the teachers. However, he noted that there were benefits to having a teacher from a different grade level bring a new perspective to another grade. Paradis echoed Waski in his assessment that enrollment was trending downward.

“These conversations are going to keep having to happen because we’re not a growing district,” Paradis said. “We were great before, we were great after the change and, if the change has to happen, we will continue to be great.”

Board members passed the reduction on a 6-3 vote. Amy Bazley, Les Bieneman, Rich Deprez, Jim Plourde, Berger and Bartholf voted in favor. Matley, Keehn and McGuire voted against the change.