Enrollment up Nearly 3%

Enrollment has grown in Watertown Public Schools this year, and one school  has  come up with a creative way to ensure class sizes do not get too large.

Superintendent Ann Koufman-Frederick told the School Committee last week that the district-wide enrollment increased by 71 students, a 2.9 percent jump to bring the total to 2,533. The numbers come from the October 1 Report submitted by the school officials to the state.

Kindergarten, in particular, saw a large jump, with 43 more students this year for a total of 230.

The high school grew by 11 students to 741, but the middle school dropped two students to 583. Elementary school enrollment climbed 62 students to 1,209. Cunniff now has 290 students, Hosmer 575 and Lowell has 396.

Watertown's enrollment dipped slightly from 2005 to 2007, and then began growing. The enrollment was 2,374 in 2007, according to the enrollment report, and now this year the schools have 159 more children.

"We did have quite a big bump," Koufman-Frederick said.

While total enrollment has grown, the size of classes has remained relatively level. Lowell School has the biggest class sizes at the elementary level, especially in the fourth and fifth grades.

Lowell has 75 fifth-graders in three classes, and 83 fourth-graders in four classes. Principal Darilyn Donovan chose to mix students in both grades, when possible, to reduce the numbers in a classroom, Koufman-Frederick said.

"They are doing it with more flexible groupings," Koufman-Frederick said. "Teachers teach fourth grade (curriculum) and fifth grade (curriculum) and sometimes there is some overlap."

Math and English class sizes have been reduced to between 12-to-1 and 15-to-1 by grouping students from both grades who are at similar academic levels, Koufman-Frederick said.

Students move from one classroom to another, about five times a day, similar to what they will do in middle school. The distances, however, are short.

"They are just going across the hall," Koufman-Frederick said.

School Committee Chairman Anthony Paolillo said Donovan did a good job.

"It is good to see, with the numbers at Lowell School, we are able to keep class sizes down," Paolillo said.