Moses Lake school enrollment higher than projected

MOSES LAKE - School enrollment is ahead of projections, according to Moses Lake School District officials.

Mark Johnson, the district's director of business and operations, said enrollment was about 100 students over the budget projection at the elementary level, and about 30 students over projection at the middle schools. Johnson reviewed the numbers at the board's last meeting.

Moses Lake High School enrollment has declined since the beginning of the school year, but the decline isn't as much as it's been historically, Johnson said.

He attributed that to efforts at the high school to help kids catch up on their classes where they are behind. Director of Student Services Dave Balcom said the high school added a study session during spring vacation, and Saturday school for six weeks. Some attendance is voluntary, some mandatory, he said.

The spring vacation classes had about 135 students, and 159 students have attended the three Saturday sessions to date, Balcom said.

In other business, Johnson reported that construction on the new swimming pool building will not require draining the pool, at least not yet. The original plan was to drain the water and put up scaffolding for part of the project, but that might damage the pool plaster, Johnson said. The pool will have to be drained briefly sometime during the project to repair the plaster, he said.

Curriculum Director Linda McKay announced the district will host a week of teacher training classes in August. Teachers will have their choice of about 50 classes at the Moses Lake Summer Institute, she said. In answer to a question from board member Vicki Groff, McKay said if there's room the classes would be open to teachers from other districts.

Students in the Instrumental Ensemble at Park Orchard Elementary School performed prior to the board meeting. Participants must audition and commit to practices outside regular music classes, said their instructor Roy Culver.