The Newberry Community School Board (NCSB) received an update on school enrollment numbers and approved a public comment policy at a meeting on Monday. 

Enrollment  

At the board’s Feb. 23 meeting, Newberry Community School (NCS) Principal Lacy Roberts said 427 students were enrolled in the new conversion charter school, which is taking over the Newberry Elementary School (NES) building in the fall. 

Based on the numbers Roberts shared at Monday’s meeting, the number of students enrolled at NCS is now up to 475.  

Roberts explained to the board that there is a two-step process for enrollment, noting that after parents enroll their student(s) into the school, they then must accept their child’s seat.  

While 475 students, including 81 kindergarteners, 105 first graders, 119 second graders, 90 third graders and 80 fourth graders, have enrolled, Roberts said only 380 have accepted their seat. She noted that this number included 64 kindergarteners, 84 first graders, 92 second graders, 78 third graders and 62 fourth graders. 

“We are continuing to email, call, text, and get in touch with those parents [who haven’t accepted their child’s seat],” Roberts said.  

Roberts said they’ve only had seven students whose parents declined to enroll their child in NCS. 

Regarding teachers, Roberts said she has received “80-something” applications so far. 

“I have not hired some [teaching] vacancies because I’m watching enrollment,” she said. “I’m only trying to hire what we need.” 

Roberts said eventually, they will need to decide on a target number of where they want to enroll to and staff to before creating waiting lists. 

“We do want a waiting list,” Roberts said. “Remember, as you have kids move, then we want to be able to pull kids up so that we maintain our [enrollment] number, because that correlates to funding.” 

Setting that target number for enrollment and staff is also important for budget purposes, as Roberts said NCS’s budget is “built around” the school’s enrollment numbers. 

“We will have to commit to that, but that can be a little later,” she said. “We can watch it [enrollment] a little longer.” 

While discussing the budget later in the meeting, Roberts said she liked it being developed for around 520 students, adding she believes they can reach that number and then have a waiting list by the time she brings forward a new budget to the board in April. The original budget, she said, was created based on 694 students. 

“So, that’s my plan is to bring a budget based on that kind of a number [520 students], with contracts a little more in place, where we know our numbers, not estimates, because that entire budget was built on estimates, and everything costs more than it did three years ago, or four years ago, when that budget [was] signed,” Roberts said.  

Public comment policy  

Also, during Monday’s meeting, the board unanimously approved a public comment policy for its meetings. The board had not had a formal rule or policy in place for public comment at meetings before. Citizens were given a two-minute time limit to address the board before it got into agenda items. 

Under the approved policy, which takes effect at the board’s next meeting, speakers will still be able to comment on agenda items before the board acts. However, citizens will have up to three minutes to address the board instead of two. That time may not be given to others. 

Some other rules outlined in the adopted policy: 

• Only individuals who are recognized for public comment or acknowledged by the chair may address the board. 

• The board or staff is not obligated to respond to public comments during the meeting. 

• No additional comments are allowed after the speaker’s time has elapsed. 

• Speakers may not engage in obscene acts or speech, threats, and/or disorderly conduct. Disruptive individuals may be removed from the meeting.  

• Cell phones must be silenced during public comments and meetings. 

The next NCSB meeting will take place on Monday, April 20, at Newberry City Hall inside the Commission Chambers. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.  

Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.