Waukee Schools: What's New for 2012-13

Just two short days until the start of the 2012-13 school year in Waukee and there is already so much to talk about.

Superintendent Dave Wilkerson says this year is turning out to be one of the biggest in the district's history.

"Each year we talk about growth and it's something we're always dealing with, but this year has been greater than we anticipated," he said. "This could be some sort of a record, I think."

Wilkerson is referring to the number of students registered for the 2012-13 school year. As of last Friday, 7,621 students were registered for the upcoming school year.

That number, Wilkerson said, includes a record-busting 760 kindergartners, the largest incoming class to date. Due to the increase, class sizes will range anywhere from 20 to 23 in some schools and 24 to 26 in others.

Wilkerson said one of the challenges of not knowing exactly how many students will be registered come the start of school is that district officials still need to staff appropriately.

"Right now, it's too late to hire additional teaching staff, so sections will be larger than we'd like," he said. "We will look at the needs of each school and provide support as needed."

Wilkerson said he's never suprised when the district shows an increase in enrollment, although this year's sharp increase was a bit of a shock.

"As of Friday, we were up 645 students (over last year)," he said. "I think the previous largest growth year was during the 2006-07 school year when we were up 547. We've blown that out of the water. It's crazy."

Besides the increase in the student population, here are a few other things parents and students can look forward to this year:

• The Waukee schools have 64 new teachers. Forty-two of those positions, Wilkerson said, are new to the district. The remaining 20 were filled due to turnover.
• Construction is under way on the new in West Des Moines, the district's seventh elementary. It is on track and construction is expected to be complete in time to welcome the students for the 2013-14 school year.
• Wilkerson reports that the district expects to break ground on the second 8/9 building just southwest of on L.A. Grant Parkway. The school is yet to be named.
• The new addition to has been completed and will be open to incoming students on Wednesday. The building includes 22 new classrooms and a new and improved lunchroom. Check back in with Waukee Patch on Tuesday for a sneak peek at what the new addition looks like.