parent herself. She believes that smaller environments are best for learning. “If I were going to have my children in an environment, I [would] want them to be in a small [one],” Trauner said. Trauner sees the effects of expan-
sion in her own class. She believes that students are at a disadvantage when it comes to individual learning. “What could a child do if they could be in a room that didn’t have 25 kids?” Trauner said. All elementar y
schools within CSD have had Kindergarten expansions. Currently, Glennwood has the smallest population out of all of the elementary schools. Terefore, any new tuition stu- dent will be directed to Glennwood. Luckily, Glennwood has a small enough population to take in extra kindergar- teners. Te current student-to-teacher ratio is one to 12. For the elementary schools on the south side of Decatur, that is not the case. During the summer vacation, CSD
board members decided that Winnona Park should open another kindergarten class. Board members all agreed that Winnona Park is the best place for minor expansions due to its larger facili- ties and smaller population. Tis is not the first time that Winnona Park has adjusted to kindergarten changes. Late in the summer of 2010, many Oakhurst parents were told that their children would have to attend either Winnona Park or Clairemont, depending on their address. Many parents voiced their
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concerns about this move. Parents were not pleased because they lived within walking distance of Oakhurst. They were shocked when they found out that they were redistricted to Winnona Park, which is outside of the Oakhurst community. Angela Ayiteyfio is a parent of a first grader at Clairemont. Last year,
believes that this will help solve exces- sive expansion. “I do not believe that these children will be at risk. We have excellent teachers, wonderful materials and technology and additional help in each room.” Many Decatur teachers trust the
“I think that it’s a positive thing to say about City Schools of Decatur, if we’re this full then it means that families believe in
her child attended kindergarten at Oakhurst but was redistricted to Clairemont because of high popula- tion. Ayiteyfio enjoyed Oakhurst but is also very pleased with Clairemont. “In general, I just like the school. I like how it’s run. It’s very efficient,” she said. “Te teachers are very nice, very thorough ... the kids love it.” In the middle of all of the chaos
involving the many kindergarten stu- dents, the school system is still opti- mistic. Superintendent Phyllis Edwards is well aware of the rising population. Edwards would like every kindergarten class to have around 20 students. Even though this is not always the case, De- catur has found ways to provide other valuable resources. “Tere are also EIP teachers or Early Intervention Teachers at each school to assist children who are having difficulty,” she said. Edwards
our school system.” – Brooke Nation, kindergarten teacher
school board to support them for a future of chaotic growth. Teachers are confident that CSD can provide supplies and support. “We don’t ever have a need for anything, technology or supplies,” Trauner said. “Despite our big numbers, we are very, very lucky.” Even with the popula-
tion increasing in kin- dergarten and the sud-
den redistricting of students, parents remain optimistic. “I would go to any elementary school in the City of De- catur,” Ayitefio said. “My daughter gets to know so many people now when we walk down the street in Decatur, even teenagers! She knows more people in Decatur than I do, and she’s six!” Decatur has grown massively over the past few years. After a 10 percent population increase in CSD, the future looks less crowded for Decatur schools. “I do not anticipate this type of influx again for this upcoming school year,” Edwards said. But even if the popula- tion does increase again, school board members, teachers, students and parents make sure that Decatur offers high quality education.n
OCTOBER 2011 • CARPE DIEM
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