Charleston R-1 administrators address changes

CHARLESTON, Mo. — After Monday’s announcement the Charleston R-1 School District will redistribute grade levels within its buildings next school year, administrators took time Wednesday to discuss the reasoning and benefits of the changes.

“We thought we were at least a year out from anything like this,” Charleston R-1 Superintendent Jeremy Siebert said.

But, Siebert said a drop in enrollment combined with several teachers this month announcing their resignations at the end of the school year made the changes necessary for next school year.

During its regular monthly meeting on April 14, the Charleston R-1 School Board voted in favor of an emergency redistribution of grade levels between school buildings for the 2022-2023 school year.

The board also cited the national teacher shortage and a decrease in enrollment as contributing factors in this decision.

“We just increased our teacher salary by 5 percent going into the next year; and by us being able to combine resources and absorb positions then that gives us the flexibility to be able to do that also in the future,” Siebert said.

In the new plan, starting in fall 2022, Warren E. Hearnes Elementary School will receive some much-needed elbow room for preschool through third grade classes.

The Charleston Middle School building on Main Street, which currently houses sixth, seventh and eighth grades, will now house fourth, fifth and sixth grades.

Seventh and eighth grades will move into their new home, joining grades 9-12 at the Charleston High School building on Thorn Street.

The redistribution will ultimately allow the district to make better use of student spaces and teachers, while keeping all three current school buildings operational and not having to make any staff cuts, the superintendent said.

“The board’s plan for right-sizing over time was originally to absorb positions as teachers move to other districts,” Siebert said. “With so many leaving at the end of this school year, a better plan was to find a way to share teachers among more grade levels.”

From an economic standpoint, it was the district’s best option, Siebert said.

After seeing other local schools use similar plans, Charleston believes this restructure will be successful, said Siebert, who has previously worked in other districts that utilize these plans.

“It’s not like we’re reinventing the wheel,” Siebert said. “We’re just going in a different direction because of the circumstances of our enrollment, the teacher shortage and just trying to be wiser with the taxpayer’s money.”

Principal Adam Grindstaff will reside over grades prekindergarten through sixth and both buildings as part of this plan. The redistribution also comes at a good time for the elementary school, he said.

“On the elementary side, preK is going to full-time for the first time next year,” Grindstaff said. “We’ve moved to full-time because parents want a consistent time with their children to be in school all day.”

Elementary has a continuum based on developmental levels, he said.

“Developmentally, it’s good to separate our youth in two groups,” Grindstaff said. “So you have the preK through third grades, and developmentally, their system of learning is based on a lot of engagement, a lot of teaching, a lot of small group work and a lot of instruction that requires not a lot of movement in the building.

He continued: “So when you take out the fourth and fifth grades from that and combine with the sixth grade, they still need elementary treatment but yet at the same time they need to be able to be working toward 7th-12th grades.”

Separating the two groups will be able to give a more quiet, much more effective environment, Grindstaff said.

“It eases the swelling of classrooms through a building that it’s a good thing to lessen that population,” Grindstaff said.

It spreads those grade levels out into pods to where they’re all in like areas, he said.

“When you have six or seven grade levels in a building in an elementary setting, if any little distraction happens, it affects everyone,” Grindstaff said. “So breaking them apart, getting them into two structures of developmental preparedness will ready them and get them ready for that 7-12 consistency.

Grindstaff said he’s looking forward to the changes.

“I think it’s a great thing,” said Grindstaff, who has taught sixth grade. “Sixth graders still need more compassion than what some people think sometimes. Keeping them in the fourth through sixth grade building — it will be good for them.”

Charleston High School Principal Jamarcus Williams, who will reside over grades 7-12 at the high school building, said the redistribution was inevitable.

“The district’s enrollment has been decreasing for awhile,” Williams said. “Feedback is mixed which is expected. Some people are more open to change; some are more resistant. However, I do think this will benefit all of our students preK-12 exponentially.”

Williams said data shows secondary schools with 7tth through 12th grades show a significant decrease in dropout rates due to the fact that those seventh and eighth graders get more time to acclimate the high school expectations.

“We’re also able to offer more electives and classes to all students under one roof,” Williams said.

The district is able to offer drama class, STEM and STEAM classes to high school students and more PE electives and agriculture classes to middle school students, the principal said, adding there are more options.

Plus, the district is able to streamline curriculum, Williams said.

“If I have a freshman science teacher who is seeing weaknesses in certain science classes or parts of the science curriculum, then they can go to the eighth grade or middle school science teachers and say: ‘Hey, these students are showing weaknesses in this area,’ and it’s the same with math and English,” Williams said. “It’s just quick communication we are able to get fixed without having a districtwide professional development day or faculty meeting.”

Siebert said administrators plan to organize core classes so that grades 7-8 will be in a separate hall from grades 9-12. In addition, the alternating bell schedules will allow one set of grade levels to leave their classes as the tardy bell rings for the group before.

Also, Siebert noted, the Charleston High School building was originally designed to hold 1,000 students. In the spring 2022 semester, there are 252 students enrolled at the high school and 106 in grades 7 and 8. The redistribution plan will combine these grades for approximately 358 students next year, which keeps the building well under the intended capacity.

Both Grindstaff and Williams said their groups of teachers and faculty are excited but nervous about the changes.

“They’re accepting the challenge, and they see it as a positive,” Grindstaff said. “It’s that cliché where you’ve got to put one foot in front of the other and keep going — and as long is it’s about the kids, then we’re good.

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There are still job openings available for the 2022-2023 school year, and anyone interested is welcome to submit an application at: charlestonbluejays.org/apply/.