There has been a lot of talk in our district lately of the pros and cons of keeping a K-3 elementary school open for 4 students.  We are facing low projected enrollment at the Albion School for next year.  The meetings and discussions with parents, staff, and community members have been interesting.  There are so many different opinions – which is a good thing, but a challenging good thing.

I covered for Suzanne, the classroom teacher, and Jessica, the instructional assistant at the Albion School last week.  Jessica planned to stay the entire time I was there, but at least she was able to get a good break in.  When I got there, I learned that 4 students were absent that day which meant there would be 4 present.  I was excited to get a sense of the school day with 4 students!

I got there in time for recess so I went outside to play some basketball and some swinging.  The students were eager to play and very outgoing.  I had a great time just making conversation with them.  It was soon time for lunch and Jessica took charge serving the meals.  She read a chapter from Harry Potter as the students ate.  Soon they all went into their library to read more while I did the dishes.

My final job of the day was to do an activity outside for PE.  I took a poll and they wanted to play basketball, so naturally it was a four on one game.  We had an energetic, fun game with a few new rules that we added.  I think the final score was something like 46-42, but I can’t remember who won.

I enjoyed my day in Albion.  The kids love their school; that was clear to me.  It felt empty at times, a little too quiet for me, but that’s probably just because I am used to a little more activity with more children in a school and classroom.  Educationally, I believe an enrollment of 4 in a school is small for quality discussions, collaborative learning, and social development.  I would like to see a minimum of 12-14 students.

In May, the school board met to make a decision for next year.  I recommended that we close the school until enrollment increases, but the school board voted 3-2 to keep the school open.  At this point I would still recommend closing the school with 4-5 children in such a wide grade span, but I understand the decision and I am hopeful for increased enrollment and long term sustainability in the future.

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