Decorah School Board approves additional second grade teacher

Superintendent Mike Haluska told the Decorah Community School Board on Monday night that the projected number of second graders for this fall had increased to 108, up from an initial projection of 102. The new number would have created class sizes of 27, beyond what is considered a reasonable level for students at the "learning to read" level. The additional position will moderate the class sizes to 22 in three classrooms, and 21 in two others.

Haluska said funding for the position should not be an issue since the initial budget had not included $52,000 in additional money for open enrollment funding. The position will be advertised immediately, but only a local level because of the need to fast track the hiring process before the beginning of the school year.