Deputy Superintendent Sherri Cyra and Assistant Superintendent of Operations Lori Ames shared the District's official Third Friday September enrollment report at the Board of Education meeting on Monday, Oct. 12.
Board president Annette Ashley presided over the meeting at the District Services Center, while other Board members participated remotely. The School Board has been meeting virtually since mid-March.
Cyra noted the report included the number of actual students and staff assigned to each MCPASD school. The District has 7,377 students it is serving in its buildings for the 2020-21 school year.
Cyra said since the Third Friday September count there have had 27 withdrawals with 24 at the elementary level and 3 at the middle level. She noted 14 of the withdrawals came after the School Board's vote on Sept. 28 to remain with virtual instruction with the vast majority at the elementary level.
Ames noted there are two enrollment numbers and each is equally important. One is the report that Cyra provides regularly starting in the spring before the upcoming school year. Ames noted those numbers includes resident and non-resident (open enrollment) students.
However, Ames reminded the Board the District can only generate revenue limit authority from its resident students. She also noted there are students who live in the District but open enroll out and this year that number was 163. She also noted that K-12 students are counted as full-time 4K counts 0.6 because only attend part of the day and early childhood counts 0.5. As a result, the District's Third Friday count for aid and revenue limit purposes was 7,347 or about 240 below what was expected, Ames said.
In other news from Monday's meeting: * Board president Annette Ashley noted the Board received two emails and each one thanked members for their work and recent vote to have students remain in virtual learning. Redacted versions of the emails will be posted on the District website just as all citizen comments have been since June, Ashley said.
* Minza Karim noted she has received lots of communications related to her vote on Sept. 28 to have all students remain in virtual learning. She indicated much of the feedback has been positive, but she has been disappointed with those who have questioned her because of her religion and race. Other Board members also reported they had received direct feedback from residents and expressed support for Karim and disappointed in any residents who have attacked anyone personally or targeted someone because of their religion or race. * Superintendent Dana Monogue congratulate Jim Blodgett, Heikki Heikkinen and Mike Talley of the Technology Services Department for recently receiving Good Neighbor Awards from the Middleton Police Department. Niche.come released its school and District rankings on Monday and MCPASD was ranked No. 1 in Dane County and second overall in Wisconsin.
* You can watch the Oct. 12 School Board meeting on the District's YouTube Channel: video: