District Acts to Stem School Overcrowding
Facing a substantial increase in enrollment, Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials revealed preliminary plans this week to ease overcrowding in schools.
In the next five years, 3,500 new students are expected to pour into the district’s schools, which now have about 18,000 students.
The steps being considered to accommodate the newcomers include adjusting attendance boundaries and staggering kindergarten classes to allow one room to be used for two classes. The district also will review policies that may affect class size, such as its student transfer policy.
Board member Serene R. Stokes said the district’s goals are to help those schools that are already overcrowded and to avoid future overcrowding.
The district has scheduled another special meeting to discuss its plans with the public on Feb. 20. District officials said they hope to have a draft of the master plan completed in March.
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