BOZEMAN — Friday may have been the last day of school in Bozeman, but the conversations about education never stop.
This week, MTN News received an anonymous email regarding enrollment and class-size limits at Anderson School. MTN’s Esha Walia set out to investigate.
WATCH: Anderson School clears up confusion about enrollment, class size limits
“I think that there’s a lot at risk if we aren’t, to some extent, making some commitment to the out-of-district families that are here already,” said Elaine Uehlein.
Uehlein has lived in Bozeman since 2014. Both her kids attend Anderson School.
“My kids are here in 8th grade and 3rd grade,” said Uehlein.
As Uehlein explains, her family is considered out of district for Anderson School, so they’ve had to apply every year for the last nine years for their kids to go there. She says it’s important for her kids to attend Anderson School because of its location and community.
“… A small district and the classes are small. We have the flexibility to do some very unique things here,” said Uehlein.
She is not the only one who feels this way. Teacher Stephani Lourie, who’s taught at Anderson School for the past 32 years, shares the same sentiment.
“It’s an incredibly rigorous and loving and safe, inclusive environment,” said Lourie.
MTN’s Esha Walia asked Lourie for her thoughts on class size limits, given the Anderson School’s emphasis on quality education and class sizes of about 17 to 20 students.
“I teach sixth grade, and by the time you get to middle school, you actually want a larger population in your class for social and intellectual and emotional options for kids,” said Lourie.
Lourie says class sizes have been a hot topic for years. The email MTN News received stated that some parents received phone calls from Superintendent Spencer Johnson saying their kids would not be accepted back next school year, partially because of class sizes. So, MTN’s Esha Walia asked Superintendent Johnson if this was true.
“The school board has not denied any students at Anderson,” said Johnson.
As he explains, out-of-district students are approved in batches. The phone calls that went out to parents ahead of Memorial Day weekend were to notify them that their kids had not been approved at that time, not that their kids couldn’t come back in the fall.
“It’s just no understanding that we have an approval process, and they haven’t been approved yet,” said Johnson.
Anderson School enrolls around 218 kids. When it comes to out-of-district enrollment, Johnson says the school is committed to working with families.
He also says it is too early to know whether any out-of-district students will be affected in the upcoming school year.
“I know the application process can be difficult, but I do believe that the culture and the community and the kids are absolutely fantastic,” said Johnson.
The sentiment is shared by all the folks MTN’s Esha Walia spoke with: Anderson School is unique and in high demand because of its strong sense of community.
“I do think it’s a small community of very involved, very caring parents,” said Uehlein.
