A week after school resumed at three Natomas campuses, district officials are shifting some students to balance class sizes.
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| NUSD superintendent Bobbie Plough |
Parents at Natomas Park and Witter Ranch elementary schools yesterday learned classes were being collapsed, combination classes created and some students reassigned to the Two Rivers campus in an effort to maintain a 30 students to one teacher ratio.
Natomas Unified superintendent Bobbie Plough said changes became necessary when student enrollment differed from what was projected. In some grade levels more students returned to school than anticipated and, in others, there were fewer. Plough said she was sensitive to parents’ concerns about the changes a week after school started.
“We moved rapidly to avoid moving children later in the school year,” she said. “The district can reassure parents that we will spend time talking to children and acclimating children to the new classrooms.”
Here is a summary of class collapses and student redistribution do date:
- Collapsing a 4th and 5th grade at Natomas Park, creating a 4/5 combination class
- Collapsing a 6th grade at Natomas Park and reassigning 10 students to Two Rivers
- Collapsing a 6th grade at Witter Ranch and reassigning 5 students to Two Rivers
- Creating a K-1 combination class at Natomas Park
Natomas Park, Witter Ranch and Two Rivers elementary schools previously operated as multiple-track, year-round campuses but are now operating on a single track to save money. Plough attributed this change to making the movement of students more noticeable.
The school district policy is the last student enrolled at a grade level is the first to be transferred to another school, but principals are directed to keep families together.
“Moving students is the absolute last choice for our district and we have formed grade-level combination classes as an alternative to moving students in mass to other school sites,” said Plough. “However, there are circumstances where we still have to move students.”
Schools starts August 10 at the district’s nine other traditional elementary, middle and high school campuses. Plough said student movement is also possible at those schools once enrollment figures are finalized.
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