Smaller classes, bigger cuts

My youngest son attends fourth grade at Chain Lake Elementary in Monroe. This year their enrollment is down. However, class sizes are not and in some cases they are larger than last year. Along with larger classroom sizes, several support staff’s hours have been cut and the librarian and counselor, along with the school nurse, have their time divided between schools.

The health room doesn’t have a full-time nurse or health room assistant during school hours. This leaves the office staff, who are now short of personnel, to fill in for health room staff.

The counselor now spends one day a week at another school.

Chain Lake’s library will be closed to students during their recess and lunchtime. One day a week the library will be totally closed while the librarian is at another school teaching kindergartners about libraries without the benefit of teaching them in a library.

Although I can appreciate the difficulty in preparing a school district’s budget and the difficult decisions that have to be made, sometimes I do not understand the philosophy behind the process. I am not sure why closing libraries to elementary school students and denying them time to explore books helps them to understand that reading is very important. Or the possibility of telling a child who is in need of counseling support that they have to sit in a room until someone can come and help them. How does this help to make them a better person?

I am not worried that my son’s education or safety is at risk. All of my children attended Chain Lake, and in a safe and compassionate environment they received a great foundation to build their education on, no matter what difficulties the school system was going through. This time is no different. I know the Chain Lake staff will rise to the challenge.

I find it funny that, when the enrollment at Chain Lake was busting at the seams with 700-plus students, my kids were never denied access to the library and the encouragement of reading. Nor did they have to choose what day to have a bad day on, because the counselor was at another school.

It’s too bad that with smaller school enrollment come larger sacrifices. I think I liked it better when the school was a little full.

Monroe

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Saturday, Feb. 8

A sketechy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

bar graph, pie chart and diagrams isolated on white, 3d illustration
Editorial: Don’t let state’s budget numbers intimidate you

With budget discussions starting soon, a new website explains the basics of state’s budget crisis.

Comment: Democracy depends on support of local journalism

A state bill provides funding to support local news outlets through a modest tax on tech businesses.

Comment: Love is intoxicating; romance doesn’t have to be

Navigating sobriety while dating, with Valentine’s Day coming up, is possible and fulfilling.

Comment: State attempt at single-payer health care bound to fail

Other states have tried, but balked when confronted with the immense cost to state taxpayers.

Forum: Requiem for a lost heavyweight: Sports Illustrated

SI, with Time and NatGeo, were a holy trinity for me and my dad. Now, it’s a world of AI clickbait.

Forum: Political leaders should leave trash talk to ballplayers

Verbal intimidation is one thing on the basketball court; it shouldn’t have a place in our politics.

The Buzz: Why, no, we have complete trust in Elon Musk

But whatever he and Trump are doing to the country, could they please wish it into the cornfield?

Curtains act as doors for a handful of classrooms at Glenwood Elementary on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Schools’ building needs point to election reform

Construction funding requests in Arlington and Lake Stevens show need for a change to bond elections.

FILE- In this Nov. 14, 2017, file photo Jaìme Ceja operates a forklift while loading boxes of Red Delicious apples on to a trailer during his shift in an orchard in Tieton, Wash. Cherry and apple growers in Washington state are worried their exports to China will be hurt by a trade war that escalated on Monday when that country raised import duties on a $3 billion list of products. (Shawn Gust/Yakima Herald-Republic via AP, File)
Editorial: Trade war would harm state’s consumers, jobs

Trump’s threat of tariffs to win non-trade concessions complicates talks, says a state trade advocate.

A press operator grabs a Herald newspaper to check over as the papers roll off the press in March 2022 in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald file photo)
Editorial: Push back news desert with journalism support

A bill in the state Senate would tax big tech to support a hiring fund for local news outlets.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Friday, Feb. 7

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.