Pattonville Schools Expect More Students, Fewer Teachers Next Year

The Pattonville School Board approved 2012-2013 Student and Staffing Projections on Tuesday night and information provided by the school district indicates it will reduce positions through attrition.

Pattonville plans to hire three elementary classroom teachers, but reduce middle school and high school teaching staffs.

The district expects to reduce staff at by 2.5 and staff at Holman by 1.5.

will have the largest reduction in staff. The district expects to reduce high school staff by 8.67 staff members.

Pattonville has 25 teachers who will retire at the end of the 2011-12 school year according to the district’s projections. Twenty-eight teachers were hired on one-year contracts. Typically between 10 and 20 teachers leave their positions for other reasons, according to a district document.

The district expects to teach more students in the 2012-13 school year. Projections predict a total of 5,499 are expected to enroll in the district next year. That’s an addition of 59 students, up from 2011-12’s 5,440 students.

Elementary schools will see the largest increase. The district predicts an additional 63 elementary school students will enroll. Administrators expect ’s population to increase by 36 students.

However, not all elementary schools will see an uptick. Administrators expect Maryland Heights-based to see a decrease of 29 students.

teaches both elementary students and middle school students. The district expects Remington Traditional’s elementary population to increase by six students and its middle school population to increase by three students.

District middle schools are expected to see a decrease of four students, mainly because of shifting populations. Officials expect Maryland Heights-based to see a decrease of 17 students, while they expect Holman to increase by 10 students.

Administrators expect no change overall at . The main high school will lose three students, but officials expect the POSITIVE school to gain three students.

The board voted unanimously on the projects.

Board honored for school board recognition week

Pattonville superintendent Mike Fulton and district students honored the board during the school board meeting. Fulton read a proclamation thanking board members for their service.

He said staff members were grateful for the board members’ service.

“Because it does make a difference in the life of our kids, and the life of our community,” Fulton said.

Students from area schools presented members with thank you cards and posters.