Enrollment numbers are down within the Picayune Separate Municipal School District, which has led to a reduction in class sizes.
During Tuesday’s Board of Trustees meeting, Superintendent Dean Shaw provided the Board with figures in each of the grade levels. Total enrollment within elementary schools included 1,808 students. At the junior high level 511 students enrolled and at the high school level 954 students enrolled.
Class sizes were also presented to the Board, but only for elementary schools. At Nicholson Elementary class sizes ranged from a low of 14.67 students in the first grade, to a high of 28.5 students in the fifth grade. All grade levels at the school have three teachers, except for fifth and sixth grades, which have two.
At Roseland Park, class sizes ranged from a low of 14.33 students in the first grade to a high of 24.67 students in the third grade. All grade levels at that school have three teachers except for second grade, which has four.
At South Side Upper and Lower Elementary class sizes ranged from a low of 22.67 students in the first grade, to a high of 27 students in the second grade. Each grade level reported having three teachers.
At West Side Elementary class sizes ranged from a low of 19.33 students in the second and third grades, to a high of 26 students in the fifth grade. All grade levels reported having three teachers per grade level, except for the first, fifth and sixth grades, which have two.
Class sizes were not provided for the junior and high school grade levels.
Assistant Superintendent Brent Harrell said that total enrollment is down from recent years, which is normal since fluctuations occur from year to year.
In a separate matter, the Board opened bids for two projects, which entailed a new roof over the Nicholson Elementary kitchen and cafeteria and a new flat roof over the maintenance building. Bids ranged from a high of $378,400, without the alternative of the aluminum awning, to a low of $250,700. A total of eight bids were submitted.
Greg Bailey with Dale Bailey, who opened the bids for the Board, suggested he take all bids submitted and review them so he could make a recommendation on the best and lowest at the next meeting. The Board approved a motion to take the bids under advisement and revisit them at the next meeting.
The Board also approved a motion to enter into an agreement with ArbiterPay, which is a company that provides auto pay services to referees at school sporting events. District Finance Director Lisa Persick said the district has previously utilized six people to get paperwork in order to pay those officials.
The next meeting of the Board will be on Sept. 27 at noon.