Grade alike building specifics get sorted

MT. PLEASANT — The newly elected Mt. Pleasant Community School District Board of Directors heard an update on the grade-alike school building transition from Superintendent John Henriksen Monday evening.

“We’ve been making steady progress on the grade-alike transition,” Henriksen informed those attending the December school board meeting.

According to Henriksen, the district began the third phase of transition in October and anticipates it continuing through Jan. 30.

“Where we’re at right now is principals are determining room assignments at the buildings,” Henriksen reported.

In order to make these assignments, Henriksen says the principals have visited their anticipated new buildings for next school year and visited with staff in each building.

“They developed several different plans for where the grade sections will go,” Henriksen said. “You know, where will kindergarten go in Harlan and where will third grade go at Van Allen.”

“Principals have been working on them talking to their teachers about that transition and what's going to work best in those buildings,” he said.

During this third phase of transition, special education rosters and weighting of those rosters are being finalized.

While they consider placement, Henriksen stated that licensure of those special education teachers will go into the determination along with teacher preference.

Logistically, Henriksen says he has had conversations with the district’s director of buildings and grounds to establish plans for moving furniture, cleaning, and preparing the buildings over the summer.

Previous phases of this transition included deciding which buildings would house which grades for the districts.

Over the summer Henriksen informed the board of the following intended grade placements:

Preschool and Kindergarten at Harlan Elementary with Kate Sans as the principal

First and second grades at Lincoln Elementary with Lori LaFrenz as the principal

Third, fourth, and fifth grades at Van Allen Elementary with Michael Gossen as principal

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com