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Schools

Trenton Board of Education President Continues to Back Schools of Choice

Trenton Board of Education President Mike Hawkins said having schools of choice now in place can help the district lower class sizes.

It was announced officially Monday at the meeting that 23 new out-of-district students are registered for school this fall.

The extra students result from an by the board, which voted 6-1 to made Trenton a limited open enrollment schools of choice district.

Following that decision, one of the main was that allowing schools of choice would create overcrowded classrooms in Trenton.

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But Board President Mike Hawkins said Monday that having limited open enrollment in place should actually do the opposite.

Revenue gained per new pupil will allow for additional teachers to be hired, Hawkins said, therefore having students split into smaller groups to learn.

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“The goal was to bring in students, and while it brings in a little bit of funding, it helps bring in more staff,” Hawkins said. “If it can bring in staff and lower class size, we think it’s a win for the district.”

A total of 34 applications were mailed out as part of the limited open enrollment approach. Of the 23 who registered by the deadline for the 2012-13 school year, there are eight kindergartners, four first-graders and 11 ninth-graders.

to vote in favor of schools of choice was a sharp decline in enrollment during the last five years, as well as projected increases in retirement costs for the district.

Although schools of choice has already been voted on by the board, each semester it will revisit the issue, considering any potential changes or to possibly vote again.

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