Wentzville Schools to Add Personnel Next Year

The School Board Thursday approved hiring up to 25 new certified staff members for the 2011-12 school year.

The 7-0 vote gave school administrators the ability to plan for the upcoming school year and the projected increased enrollment. 

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Susan Hladky told the board the district anticipates 565 additional students next school year based on growth alone.

The newly created positions could be classroom teachers, special education, specials (such as art, music or physical education) or librarians.

"We really don't know — these positions may not all be filled," Hladky said. "This is all dependent on growth, enrollment, the number of students in certain courses." 

Hladky stressed the positions would be filled on an as-needed basis and were subject to changes in the district's budget, enrollment and growth projections.

Current estimates put 243 additional students in the district's elementary schools next year and over 200 at the high school level.

Most positions at the elementary level would be classroom teachers, Hladky noted, but that would change at the high school level.

"It will depend on numbers and courses — we could have a lot of students enroll in AP (advanced placement) courses or a lot of students taking physical education," she said. "We won't know that until we are further along."

Wentzville schools have seen steady growth for several years now.