The local school district bucked a long-term trend by increasing the number of students attending Iola schools for the 2022-2023 school year.
The official student “count” day on Sept. 20 gives district officials the yardstick they need to revise budgets based on last year’s numbers as well as develop future budgets.
The local difference is 15.5 students — a student who attends the high school’s virtual program is counted as .5 — 1,223 up from 1,207.5.
That’s welcome news.
It’s been 15 years since USD 257 schools have witnessed an increase in students, which isn’t all that surprising since Allen County continues to retreat. Today’s estimated countywide population is 12,464 compared to 13,403 in 2007.
Superintendent of Schools Stacey Fager credits the district’s expanded preschool program for attracting students this way. In 2018, the school district and private preschools teamed up to provide the same curriculum to all students at no charge to families. The program is funded through the Kansas Department of Education’s Early Childhood Block Grant.
The goal is to have 100 percent participation so that all kindergartners begin their formal education equally prepared. Being “kindergarten ready” is a determinant for future success, researchers say, because the learning gap can be significant between children who have taken advantage of a formal learning environment and those who have not.
Those preschool years are a critical time for learning. In their first three to five years, a child’s brain grows faster than any other stage in their lives, soaking up social, cognitive, emotional and language skills essential to building a strong foundation.
Fager lauded the program’s success for an increase in grade school attendance. This year’s number of 5-year-olds in either kindergarten or preschool has increased from 95 to 108, requiring an additional kindergarten teacher.
Today, there are 504 students in pre-K through fifth grade compared to 474 the previous year.
A SHINY, new building also doesn’t hurt.
The new Iola Elementary School is testament to the district’s dedication to its children by ensuring they have an environment that stimulates learning and fosters confidence. Though indirect, the message students receive every time they walk through those doors is that they are appreciated and worth every penny invested in their education.
Hats off to USD 257. May the success continue.
— Susan Lynn
