Incoming Kindergarten Class Larger Than Expected

This fall, more than 30 students than initially anticipated have registered for kindergarten in the Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns.

"It's definitely a lot more than expected," said District Superintendent Howard Smith.

After Tappan Hill Elementary School, the former home of the district's kindergarten, was closed during budget cuts earlier in the year, John Paulding is set to house the incoming students.

According to Smith, the district generally relies on the villages' populations and the ages of new residents to estimate class size and allocate resources for the coming year, but this year's guess was on the conservative side.

"We don't have any reason to believe it's an edge on a trend," said Smith. "It's probably just a blip this particular year."

Smith said once registration for the 2010 - 2011 academic year closed, "it became clear we had well passed that which we had expected."

In order to manage the students, the district has moved a teacher, who was initially supposed to teach first grade at W.L. Morse this year, to John Paulding.

Additionally, as the guidelines demand a teaching assistant in each kindergarten classroom, an additional TA has been hired.

"We basically created another section," said Smith.

Though there is another class, Smith said each class now will have 23 students, versus the 22 cap outlined in the school's guidelines.

He added the size of the building was not an issue, as John Paulding is larger than Tappan Hill.

Smith said it's particularly difficult to estimate enrollment before classes start in this type of community, as birth records at a single hospital aren't indicative of future enrollment.

"There aren't accurate ways," he said. "All you can do is try to get the word out at the time you are building the budget and have early registration to get people to come forward."

Early registration is often not very effective, according to Smith.

"Unfortunately, until they start walking in, it's difficult to predict," he said.

While the district has been able to rearrange teachers and resources to accommodate the incoming class, he said if enrollment remains this high in future years, the students may have more crowded conditions in other buildings.

"It could cause a little bit of a problem in the upper grades," said Smith. "Right now, we're at 10 sections...when often we only have eight. It potentially represents two additional sections of students if these numbers hold by the time they get to [Washington Irving School]."

But Smith said that issue will have to be dealt with as the students begin moving through the system.

"You try to accommodate," he said. "You have to see whether it's a trend and look ahead to start planning as they move through."