HLWW closes kindergarten open enrollment

HOWARD LAKE, WAVERLY, WINSTED, MN – At the May 14 Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted School Board meeting, the board voted to close kindergarten open enrollment for the 2012-13 school year, effective immediately.

“I want to make sure people are clear that we are not closing enrollment, just ‘open’ enrollment,” Superintendent Brad Sellner noted. “Students who are residents of the district can’t be denied enrollment.”

So far, 108 kindergartners are signed up for the 2012-13 school year, and Elementary Principal Jennifer Olson said there might be additional students in the district who have not yet registered.

To maintain class sizes of about 20 students, HLWW plans to have six sections of kindergarten (three at Winsted Elementary and three at Humphrey Elementary in Waverly).

With this arrangement, there is room for a total of 120 kindergartners.

“It’s quite possible we might come back in August and say we have room for seven or eight kids,” Sellner said. “If we open it back up, it becomes a lottery.”

Parents from outside the district who inquire about open enrolling their student will be put on a list. If open enrollment were reinstated, their names would go into a drawing.

“My feeling is that we need to make sure we are servicing resident students the best way we can, first and foremost, before we work on bringing in or attracting open enrollment,” Sellner noted.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Board Chair Dan Schaible said.

Look for more coverage of the school board meeting in the Monday, May 21 Herald Journal.